Present: Donald Davidson, Joyce Fisk (School Board Member), Jerry Greene (Selectmen Representative), Cary Hughes (Chair), William Keefe, Daniel Levesque, Donald McGettigan, David Tierney, Mark Whitehill

1. The Library Trustees presented their budget request for $166,338.00 of Town support for 2005. Particular items that affected the increase, such as the rising cost of employee benefits, heating oil, etc. were included in the budget details. The Library Trustees also requested another $100,000.00 allocation for their Capital Improvements Campaign. This would bring total allocations from the Town to $300,000.00 over three years.

2. The Heritage Commission asked the committee to reconsider their decision to not fund $500.00 for two historic markers to be placed at historic sites in Wilton this year. The committee will take this request under consideration.

3. The committee discussed the Conservation Commission Budget of $5,000.00 for the Natural Resources Inventory and agreed that the number should be included as part of the operating fund request. That budget request will be discussed and voted on later in January.

4. The committee will ask the Highway Agent and the Police Chief to meet with the committee on January 18th to answer specific questions that the committee has about their requests. The committee particularly would like to see salary comparisons of the Wilton Police Department against other New Hampshire Towns of like size as well as neighboring town salary scales.

5. The committee discussed the Town Officers Salary Budget of $8,100.00. The budget was approved unanimously.

6. The committee discussed the Town Office Expense Budget request. This budget reflects the increase $5,000.00 for part time services of an accountant to provide services that in prior years had been provided to the town voluntarily. The budget was approved unanimously with one abstention.

7. The committee approved the legal expense budget of $20,000.00 and the contingency fund request of $5,000.00 unanimously.

8. The Fire Department operating budget request of $75,137.00 was discussed then approved unanimously.

9. After a question of clarification we verified that the Cemeteries budget request of $35,585.00 was approved at our meeting of December 14, 2004.

10. Jerry Greene reported that the original request to buy a hopper/grinder to turn brush and wood materials into wood chips for the Recycling Center for $70,000.00 was being withdrawn. It has been determined that the task can be accomplished with a smaller chipper machine that will cost only $25,000.00. This equipment will make it possible for the Recycling Center to move toward its goal of not burning brush and wood materials on site. The recycling budget requests will be taken up at the joint meeting with the Lyndeborough Budget Committee next week, January 11, 2005.

11. The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Cary A. Hughes
Chair, Wilton Budget Committee