{"id":3887,"date":"2025-11-17T18:27:40","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T23:27:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/?p=3887"},"modified":"2025-12-03T16:29:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T21:29:39","slug":"a-proposed-town-budget-without-real-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/17\/a-proposed-town-budget-without-real-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"A Proposed Town Budget Without Real Numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
The FY25 Actual column \u2013 showing what the Town actually spent last year \u2013 has no data.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Selectboard began review of the Town Manager’s proposed budget last Wednesday and will continue this Wednesday. Although the budget process is arduous and tedious, the Town budget is probably the most important policy document the Selectboard reviews each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In reviewing this year’s budget materials, I noticed something troubling: there is no information about what we actually spent last year.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don’t know how the Selectboard can intelligently participate in the planned presentations from Department Heads without knowing how much\u00a0the Town actually spent\u00a0on line items last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The numbers are available. The fiscal year closed about five months ago, and year-end financials appeared in the August 27, 2025 Selectboard meeting packet. Moving the data into the budget document would take an hour of staff time, maybe less.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Town Manager says he will provide actual numbers in December when the audit is complete. This seems silly. By that time, Department Heads have presented, and the holidays are here. The Selectboard votes on the budget in early January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s hard to understand how this situation came about Or why the Selectboard passively went along. Both the Town Manager and the Selectboard dropped the ball. Both should know better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For next year’s budget, actual spending figures should be included from the start \u2013 it’s not complicated, and it’s what taxpayers deserve.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

* * * *<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for reading! Contact me at norwichobserver[at]gmail.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Selectboard began review of the Town Manager’s proposed budget last Wednesday and will continue this Wednesday. Although the budget process is arduous and tedious, the Town budget is probably the most important policy document the Selectboard reviews each year. In reviewing this year’s budget materials, I noticed something troubling: there is no information about what we actually spent last year. I don’t know how the Selectboard can intelligently participate in the planned presentations from Department Heads without knowing how much\u00a0the Continue reading A Proposed Town Budget Without Real Numbers<\/span>→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3889,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[42],"class_list":["post-3887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-budget-town","tag-norwich-vt"],"yoast_head":"\nA Proposed Town Budget Without Real Numbers - Norwich Observer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/17\/a-proposed-town-budget-without-real-numbers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Proposed Town Budget Without Real Numbers - Norwich Observer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Selectboard began review of the Town Manager’s proposed budget last Wednesday and will continue this Wednesday. 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