North Canaan vote on budgets, resident trooper set for May 21

NORTH CANAAN — The Board of Finance accepted spending proposals for the town and school at its regular meeting May 14.

The meeting was held immediately after a three-minute public hearing on the budgets. One resident spoke to ask about the selectmen’s salary line. This matter was also discussed by the finance board members in their meeting.

In the original 2025-26 municipal spending proposal, the first selectman’s salary was reduced to $6,500, matching the salary of the second and third selectmen.

The Board of Finance requested that line of the budget be reinstated to its 2024-25 amount, which totaled $37,000: $30,500 for First Selectman Brian Ohler and $6,500 for Selectman Craig Whiting. Selectman Jesse Bunce turned down his salary last year, but this year he requested to be paid the same as Whiting.

When the 2025-26 budget was modified after the finance board’s request, the first selectmen’s salary was set at $24,000 and the three selectmen’s salaries totaled $37,000 to match 2024-25.

At the May 14 meeting, Board of Finance Member Christian Allyn made a motion to add $4,000 more to the first selectman’s salary.
There was no second to the motion, “So therefore the motion is dead,” said Chairman Doug Humes.

Allyn voted against the motion to accept the municipal budget, but the motion carried 4-1.

The town spending plan shows a bottom line of $3,239,732, a reduction of $3,204, or -0.1% from last year’s budget.

The NCES spending plan totals $4,767,136.46, an increase of $231,023.76, or 5.09%, compared to last year.

A Town Meeting to vote on the budgets will be held Wednesday, May 21, at 7 p.m. in Town Hall.

Residents will also vote on a two-year $TK contract for the resident trooper.