Finance Committee charts override strategy for May ballot vote
Finance Committee · Meeting of March 23, 2026
NEW SALEM — Finance Committee charts two-column FY27 budget strategy tied to May override vote. Chair Gabriele Voelker and the committee reviewed FY27 requests against available resources, proposing to use $100,000 from free cash for the general budget, $65,000 for a steeple capital project, and debt for $3,000 in highway capital. The plan would consume over $400,000 of a $1,000,000 free cash balance.
The Finance Committee approved a two-column budget approach with department increases exceeding 4 percent flagged for a May 4 override ballot question. Non-optional assessments, including the Swift River School assessment at 6.9 percent higher than the current year, would be funded regardless of override approval.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 253 words
Source: the Finance Committee meeting of March 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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