Blandford Finance Committee Denies Planning Board Three New Budget Lines Totaling $41,000

BLANDFORD -- March 5, 2026, Blandford Finance Committee rejects three Planning Board budget line items and caps police and fire chief raises at 2.5 percent. At the March 5 budget review session, the committee voted unanimously to deny a $30,000 town planner salary line and an $11,000 administrative wage proposed by Planning Board administrator Greg, who did not appear before the committee, with members noting that no job descriptions or spending justifications were provided. A $10,000 planning consultant line was deferred pending Greg's appearance at the March 12 meeting. Members directed that planning and administrative needs tied to the town's solar moratorium could instead be drawn from a $200,000 fund set aside at a prior special town meeting, subject to Select Board approval. The committee also recommended capping the Chester shared police services contract increase, which would raise Blandford's annual assessment from $112,358 to $119,899, at 2.5 percent rather than the 10 percent sought for Police Chief Jen, applying the same standard to Fire Chief Adam Gilby's 16 percent salary request. On election expenses, the committee voted to level fund Town Clerk Doris's $8,000 request, a 75 percent increase over prior years, and invited her to defend the figure at the March 12 meeting.