Twelve voters gathered at the Community Center Sept. 22 and unanimously approved appropriating $40,101.51 to the Department of Public Works account to pay for costs associated with last winter’s harsh weather.
Linda Wozny, the town’s deputy finance director, was elected to moderate the Special Town Meeting, called specifically to allow the Town to spend these funds from the unassigned fund balance, commonly referred to as the undesignated fund.
The funds will cover overdrafts from the year that ended June 30, attributed to increased needs for salt and sand and to employee overtime.
“It pretty much started snowing in October and continued through April, so that’s how we got here,” said council Chair John James, who opened the public comment period.
“This is one area where our charter allows an overrun, given the importance of winter maintenance,” Vice Chair Mallory Cook noted. In past years, the town had a surplus in highway department funds that was carried over into subsequent years. “That carryover has run out over the last several years,” Cook said.
In June, the Town Council authorized the highway department to exceed its budget by up to 15%, as permitted under state law, Interim Town Manager Jennifer Janelle explained. The $40,000 overrun falls within that statutory limit, but the town charter requires voter approval for overruns exceeding $10,000, Janelle said.
Melissa Costella, of Boyd’s Corner Road, who said she is in the snow removal industry, emphasized the impact of the winter weather.
“Not only was more salt needed, but there was also a salt shortage” driving up costs, Costella said. “This was not something our Public Works Department had any control over at all. This is exactly what our undesignated fund was created for.”
Anthony Palazzetti, of Whitetail Drive, said the discussion highlights how lean the municipal budget is.
“The budget does not have a lot of fluff in it because if it did, we would not be sitting here (tonight),” Palazzetti said. “They would have just absorbed these additional expenses.”
The town’s 2025 Annual Report describes the unassigned fund as the portion of the General Fund that is not restricted, committed or assigned to a specific purpose. The fund serves as a financial cushion for emergencies, unexpected expenses, and other opportunities.
As of June 2025, the fund had a balance of $6.6 million, according to the report. Since then, the Town has drawn on the fund to cover general government expenses, Town Hall renovations, property tax abatements, and capital improvements.
