Staff salaries, benefits largest expense in Meredith town budget

MEREDITH — The first stage of town budget season is underway, and Town Manager Judie Milner gave an overview of the wages and benefits portion on Monday, which will likely make up almost half of the 2026 operating budget.

The total of the proposed budget has not been calculated yet, as the town has not received all requests from outside agencies or capital improvement expenditures, but leaders say the proposed operating budget currently represents a 5.59% increase from this year.

The wages came in at $220,617 more than 2025, and Milner applied a cost of living adjustment of 3.2%. Milner said the Social Security increase was 2.8%, and the Northeast Consumer Price Index was 3.4%. If the town moves forward with 3.4%, that is an additional $14,000.

“Most of what we do is service industry, so wages does take up a pretty big chunk of the budget, and it is about 39% of our budget, at just over $9 million,” Milner said.

The $9 million includes wages and withholdings, like Social Security and Medicare, but not benefits. The addition of benefits makes it 48% of the total proposed budget.

“It is right around the same as prior years,” Milner said. “It may be down a percent or two, because we did find more capital improvements this year than we did in the past. We are getting to that annual level that we like to fund.”

The proposed budget includes removing full- and part-time office clerks in the community development department, as well as a part-time website administrator and part-time recording clerk. A full-time planner and administrative assistant are proposed to be added. The proposal also includes re-grading the human relations position to deputy town manager. This all leads to a net increase of about $81,858.

A part-time technician in the Water and Sewer Department is also proposed, which Milner said is paid for by rate payers and not the general taxpayer. This cost is about $32,575, which will be part of the upcoming Water and Sewer Department budget presentation.

The town planner position was changed to senior planner, and the director of administrative services was changed to deputy town manager of finance and operations. This proposal has zero effect on the budget.

Selectboard member Jeanie Forrester questioned a need for two deputy town managers, and Milner said the shelf life of a town manager can often be quick, when looking at communities statewide.

“There should always be at least two people that can step into that role at any point in time,” Milner said. “In addition to that, I do feel like at least one of the three, the two deputies and the manager, should always be available. This gives us that flexibility where one of us will always be available.”

Forrester asked how many towns the size of Meredith have two deputy town managers, and Milner said she would find out.

A salary study was not included in the budget draft, so Milner did not include that a fire department office clerk and solid waste clerk are requesting to go from part-time to full-time, a wage adjustment for the fire chief, and a wage adjustment for call firefighters.

It has been three years since the last salary study, which occurs every three to five years. The last study, which she said was done as requested, cost $20,000, but did not include reviewing job descriptions and speaking to employees about what they do. Milner felt a broader salary study should be done.

In terms of insurance costs, the dental increase is 4.4%, short-term disability is 5.5%, and long-term life insurance has no increase. The total benefits package in the budget is $2.17 million, or 9% of the budget. This is an increase of $101,272, or about 5%.

Budget meetings with various departments are taking place in the Humiston Building, on Nov. 18, followed by a Monday, Nov. 24 wrap-up.

“That is pretty much the overall picture of the budget with everyone who presented put together,” Milner said.

Workshop sessions will take place at the regularly scheduled selectboard meetings in December, and it is Milner’s hope to have the everything ready by Dec. 31, to prepare for a public hearing in February.

“The board asked to have that kind of buffer month, so that is what we’re working toward,” Milner said.

The next town budget meeting is at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at the Humiston Building, 103 Main St.