Finance Committee Approves Recycling Center Hiring Exception, Flags Legal Budget Surge

TOWNSEND — April 7, 2026 — Townsend Finance Committee unanimously backed a Board of Health hiring exception and raised alarms over a $50,000 jump in the legal services budget. Meeting on April 7, the committee approved filling hours at the recycling center's revolving-fund-supported operation while a current employee is on leave, with members noting a two-person safety minimum and the center's shift to weekly Saturday hours through May 16. The bulk of the two-hour session covered the proposed FY27 omnibus budget line by line, with the sharpest debate over the legal services account rising from $82,500 to $132,500 — a move members linked to a rejected town meeting warrant article that would have created a separate stabilization fund for contract negotiations, calling the budget maneuver a "sneaky move." Several members called on the town to hire a dedicated municipal labor negotiator, separate from legal counsel, ahead of what they described as a heavy union contract expiration year. The committee also noted a $10,531 accounting error in the water enterprise fund and set a follow-up session with Town Administrator Karen Kellen for April 16 to review revolving accounts and outstanding budget questions, with a $197,000 override required to fund police at proposed staffing levels.