The April meeting of the Hudson Budget Committee saw its members brainstorm new ideas following the recent conclusion of the latest budget season.
“We’ve come through the other side of the budget cycle, and that’s always an interesting feeling to do so. What I’d like to do while some of this stuff is still fresh in our minds is I would like to solicit from all of the committee members all the ideas and thoughts of things that went well and not well in the preceding budget process,” said Chair James Lawrence. “The sooner we jump on some of this stuff, the better result it will have in the long run.”
Members discussed finding ways to improve efficiency by getting an earlier start on the overall process.
“We need to start focusing on the year-end report. Before the budget season starts, we need to really be aware of what was spent where,” said Committee member Shawn Jasper. “We ought to have a handle on that prior to getting budgets in October.”
There was also discussion about ways to improve clarity. Lawrence gave an example from the recent school budget, where he often struggled to tell how special education resources were distributed.
“You kind of get an artificial breakdown of what their budgetary needs really are for what areas,” he said. “It wasn’t crystal clear to me that their presentations gave us, at least from first blush, what we need to make a smart decision.”
Committee member Bob Wherry agreed, stating that at least some of the confusion likely played a role in the School Board’s reluctance to support Budget Committee recommendations last year.
“When the School Board doesn’t agree with the Budget Committee, that’s something we can improve on,” said Wherry. “I think if we can drill down, understand why there was a disconnect, understand that aspect better, and look to improve that, it would be beneficial to our process.”
Looking to the rest of 2025, Committee member Kevin Walsh recommended the revival of an exactions subcommittee designed to scrutinize payments from Target to the town as part of their deal to build their Logistic Center at Green Meadow. Bill Cole volunteered to serve as chair of the subcommittee for the rest of the year. Despite several outstanding questions over exaction payments, the Logistic Center continued moving forward.
“The building permit for the main building has been issued. That was actually done back in December,” said Committee member Kevin Walsh. “We have a copy of the construction schedule; it’s eight pages long, and it’s an approximately 440-day project.”
A tentative delivery date for a fire department platform truck, the cost of which was covered in the exaction agreement, was set for the first quarter of 2026. The Fire Department expected to have leftover money from the truck purchase.
“I would think one of the goals I would have for the committee this year is to urge the appropriate parties to see if it makes sense from a taxpayer point of view to take those funds and put them into a capital reserve fund for apparatus replacement at some future point,” said Walsh. “Right now, there’s around $150,000 left in the account.”
The committee agreed to remain in contact with Fire Chief Scott Tice, making it easier to remain up-to-date on the topic as construction moves forward over the next few months.
