Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – November 19, 2024

At their Tuesday evening regular meeting, Brattleboro Selectboard will make a solid waste decision. The board will choose the number 2 option, suggested by Town staff, and the costs associated will be officially dumped into the FY26 budget under review.

Review of FY26 budget open house feedback and budget alternatives will discussed. The board will also hear about the West Brattleboro (Dalem’s) Chalet Project from the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust, will announce committee vacancies.  You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.


Selectboard Meeting Notes – What Services Would You Like To Cut?

selectboard nov 5 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard discussed the “base budget” – a budget with no changes to services from current levels – at Tuesday’s Election Night meeting. As is, they said, it would be a 22% increase. Board members agreed it was a difficult budget, but none had any big ideas for getting the increase to a more manageable level.

Citizens attending had ideas – eliminate raises, cut Municipal Center hours to 32 hours a week for most employees, cut positions, and throw it all out and build up from what is truly necessary were suggested.  Personnel costs, they noted, were the big numbers.

In a flashback to the era of Barb Sondag we heard the Town Manager ask the board to simply tell him what services they’d like to cut from the people of Brattleboro…


Brattleboro Property Tax – Proposed Increase of 14%, Plus Maybe 5-8% More for Solid Waste

Here are some excerpts from the Town Manager’s memo to the Brattleboro Selectboard regarding their enormous FY’26 budget. I’ve left out some of the tables mentioned to make it easier for me to format. Go view the full document to see them.

At the start, they anticipate a 14% increase in property taxes, but this does not yet include any solid waste disposal costs, which staff say may add another 5-8%.

Get yourself a drink so you can spit it out in amazement as you read the details.


Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – November 5, 2024

While the rest of the world is concerned with election day and results, the Brattleboro Selectboard will be presenting the an overview of the draft budget for the FY26. They will also continue with their approval of liquor and entertainment licenses for a new business in the former River Garden public space.  You can bring up other items not on the agenda, during public participation.


Selectboard Meeting Notes – Safety and Spending

brattleboro selectboard sept 14

The Brattleboro Selectboard is easing into budget season while wrestling with the safety of retuning to in-person meetings. They got an update on the Water Treatment Plant upgrade, paid for some emergency repairs, gave out a liquor license, and discussed Town Manager Elwell’s final Long Term Financial Plan.

There was more – there will be new stop signs coming to some corners, a discussion of ARPA fund possibilities was quick, and a discussion of blinking crosswalks took quite a while.


Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – September 14, 2021

The Brattleboro Selectboard willl take up a number of water treatment plant issues at their next regular meeting. This includes emergency replacement of a blower and other emergency repairs for wells, a project update, and a loan application. The board will continue discussion of adjusting COVID rules, hear an update on ARPA funding, consider some traffic safety measures, and contemplate Town Manager Elwell’s final Long Term Financial Plan, FY23-27.