Finance board sends budget to public hearing

KENT — The Board of Finance motioned to send the town fiscal year 2026 budget to public hearing, which will occur on Friday, May 2. A town referendum on the budget will follow on May 16.

The Wednesday, April 23, meeting was the third meeting of the board this month.

The decision followed extended discourse between the Board of Finance, the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Education focused on trimming down budget increases on both sides of the town spending plan.

The Selectmen met on Monday, April 21, to find $30,000 to cut from their proposed plan, as instructed by the Board of Finance. The group ultimately decided to bring the $30,000 allocated to Line 246 (“Contingency”) down to $20,000, Line 322 (“Welcome Center/Public Restrooms”) down to $20,000 from $25,000, and to cut $15,000 from the $60,000 proposed in Line 380 (“Transfer to Schaghticoke”).

With these adjustments, the Selectmen’s proposed budget that will be presented at the May 2 public hearing totals $5,347,501, marking a hike of $215,966 or 4.21% from last year’s budget.

The Board of Education could not meet before the April 23 meeting, but confirmed with the Board of Finance that it would cut $25,000 from its bottom line. The adjusted Kent Central School budget now stands at $5,197,492, up $76,335 or 1.49% from the fiscal year 2025 number.

Regional education spending, which is determined separately by the Region One finance board, was assessed at $2,615,310, representing an increase of $88,399 or 3.50% from the previous year. Combined education costs stand at $7,812,802, up $164,734 or 2.15%.

To balance the mill rate, the Board of Finance transferred $100,000 from the town’s general unassigned fund. The proposed mill rate currently sits at 16.93, marking a 8.55% increase from last year.