The Fayston Select Board has finalized its proposed 2026 budget at $1,843,877, up 4% from last year’s budget of $1,836,523.
The budget will come before voters at Town Meeting on March 4.
The board adopted the budget on January 28.
The town’s highway equipment costs were budgeted at $125,500 last year and are proposed at $103,500 this year. Actual expenditures last year were $104,335. This year’s budget numbers reflect repair costs dropping from $35,000 to $20,000 and an anticipated savings of $1,000 for gasoline and $2,500 less for rental equipment.
Town highway salaries are up from a budgeted $267,000 to $269,269 but highway administration is dropping from $2,000 to $1,508. Last year highway salaries came in at $250, 988. This year office expenses are proposed at $41,658 this year compared to last year’s budget of $41,750 and actual expenditures of $33,821.
Last year planning costs were budgeted at $105,116 and came in at $100,271. That line expense category includes Fayston’s membership in the tri-town Mad River Valley Planning District which rose from last year’s budget and actual of $53,962 to $68,335.
This year Fayston separated two positions that had been shared in previous budgets. In 2024 the town clerk, treasurer and tax collector budget was budgeted at $73,143 and came in at $72,019. For the coming year, the town clerk position is budgeted at $53,102 with the treasurer and tax collector budgeted at $39,960. The town’s select board assistant position, budgeted at $14,041 last year (actual was $12,308) is budgeted at $10,620 this year. The assistant town clerk position, budgeted at $57,127 (actual $51,850) last year is budgeted at $8,320 this year. Total office staff salaries last year were budgeted at $171,852 (actual $168,178). This year office staff salaries, including the listers at $32,656, are budgeted at $144,659.
Last year Fayston contributed $27,268 to Waitsfield’s Joslin Memorial Library. That contribution is up to $28,518 this year. The town’s contribution to the Mad River Valley Recreation District was $40,000 last year and remains the same this year. New this year are town contributions of $9,000 to the Mad River Valley Ambulance and $4,000 to the Mad River Path.
Fayston’s contribution to the Waitsfield-Fayston Volunteer Fire Department is $86,544 this year, up from last year’s budgeted amount of $69,933 and actual amount of $71,530.
This year the town is proposing additions of $511,500 to its capital reserve funds.
