Jaffrey’s Budget Committee will consider adding funds to the budget to pay for coverage during vacation time for the town clerk and tax collector.
The proposal to add a member to the staff was first discussed at Monday’s Select Board meeting. The proposal was brought to the Budget Committee on Tuesday.
“I think it is the wrong time to present a request like this,” said Budget Committee member Kevin Chamberlain. “I’m not disputing the potential need for something like this. I’m bothered by the timing.”
The proposal calls for bringing in one or possibly two people to cover hours when Town Clerk Kelly Rollins, Tax Collector Dawn Oswalt, and the Planning Board, Zoning Board, and Property Records Clerk Erlene Lemire are on vacation.
The recommendation is to pay a new hire $15 an hour for an average of 16 hours per week, which comes to about $13,000 in total, including payments to Social Security.
The town originally tried to cross-train employees, according to Selectman Don MacIsaac, but the process was abandoned.
The board tabled any decision, as a few committee members weren’t in attendance.
The Fire Department’s budget was tentatively approved at $345,608, which includes a subtraction of $658 from the telephone line item. The reduction is due to a renegotiation of the US Cellular contract.
The committee tentatively approved the planning and zoning budget at $77,025, the economic development budget at $21,563, and the emergency management budget at $57,488 without any changes. The committee also listened to presentations about the Downtown and Stone Arch Bridge TIF districts.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com.