Minutes of the Special Meeting
Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 5:30 P.M.
at the Woodbury Town Office
The meeting was called to order by the Chairman at 5:30. Present were the
Select Board Members and Treasurer Lilly Baron. John Holahan, local camp
owner, also attended.
Adjustments to the agenda: the first Executive Session was moved up. Update on
buyouts was added
Executive Session: At 5:35 The Board voted to enter executive session pursuant
to 1 V.S.A. §313(a)(1)(E) – negotiations possibly resulting in legal action. The
Session was closed at 5:40. The Board voted to approve the proposed response to
Swenson Granite/Polycor based on suggestions by Attorney David Mears.
Budget analysis: Lilly presented an end-of-fiscal-year summary including
suggested adjustments for the tax rate discussion. After an initial review, the
Board decided to go into Executive Session to discuss personnel wage issues prior
to addressing the budget/tax rate.
Executive Session: at 6:00 the Board convened an Executive Session pursuant to 1
V.S.A. §313(a)(1)(E). The session closed at 6:30. The following changes were
discussed and approved:
Based on recommendations by Town Audit Chair John Reid, (and based on an
annual wage survey by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns) it was decided to
increase the wages of paid staff and elected officials, in an attempt to bring these
wages closer to an average wage for similar positions in Vermont towns. These
four paid employeesions have proven their dedication to their positions and
professional performance.
Graham Christie – Town Clerk – upon completion of four months, $30.00. At 24
hours a week this item will total less than was budgeted for FY27.
Lillian Baron, Treasurer – Lilly has shown exemplary skill in her position. She has
taken on additional duties on behalf of the Select Board. She is now approved to
work 30 hours a week which qualifies as a Full-Time employee under state law.
She will now qualify for Health Insurance and other benefits. Her hourly wage is
increased from $32.45 to $35.50.
Graham and Lilly have worked together for several months and now plan to cover
the duties of Assistant Town Clerk, thus saving the $22,000 budgeted for that
position.
Road Commissioner Peter Dailey and Road Crew member Tim Neill will each
receive an hourly wage increase of $3.00.
Review end-of-year finances in detail, compare to FY2027 approved budget.
The board perused the budget and actual, and discussed ways to reduce the
preliminary tax rate.
– $20,000 must be added to the Road budget to account for the bid on the
Valley Lake Road culvert project.
– $15,000 can be deducted from the culvert budget
– The estimate for the Swenson reimbursement can be increased from $25,000
to $30,000, following most recent years
– Decrease the allocation into the HERF from $125,000 to $115,000
– Road crew budget – likely savings on health insurance and other full time
benefits during staff shortages.
Further adjustments may be necessary to address the deficit created when FEMA
refused to allow use of un-deobligated funds which financed new roofs on two
town buildings.
These adjustments have so far redueed the pending tax rate from $0.974 per $100
of property value (as based on the voted budget) to .943
The meeting was adjourned at 7:05.
Signed on __________________
Chris Casey ______________________
Diana Peduzzi _____________________
John Gordon ______________________