ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen has begun a deep review of the fiscal 2026 budget of $19,548,441, up $717,916, or 3.7 percent over this year.

 

The annual budget workshops started with a preliminary review and presentation of the budget books last week and continued on Tuesday with the Executive, Finance and Technology and General Government sections. 

 

That included the elected town clerk, assessor and treasurer/collector who all asked for a 5 percent raise to start bringing their salaries closer to other department heads and citing increased responsibilities and workloads in their offices.

 

Each began with reading a statement that they had emailed interim Town Administrator Kenneth Walto, Chair John Duval and Finance Director Ashley Satko on Feb. 27 requesting the raises that would amount to $7,000 total in the budget.

 

"This 5 percent increase would help to align these three positions with the salaries of the other department heads throughout the town of Adams. The average of these other department positions is approximately $89,000," said Assessor Paula Grover. "It would bring our salaries to $81,933, which is still well below the average salary."

 

Town Clerk Haley Meczywor said, "this disparity raises questions about fairness and equally, the allocation of resources." 

 

Treasurer Kelly F. Rice noted that raises of between 4 and 10 percent had been given to other departments and positions, above the regular 2 percent cost of living. 

 

"All three positions should be considered part of the town government and not excluded because they are full-time elected officials," she said. 

 

Selectwoman Christine Hoyt pointed out they were elected and that a personnel report commissioned by the board had recommended they be switched to appointment. She also asked Rice if the rumor was true she was retiring and how that would affect the raise.

 

Chair John Duval gaveled her both times saying those topics were not on the agenda; he also gaveled Selectman Joseph Nowak several times for also ranging away from the agenda.

 

Selectwoman Ann Bartlett and Nowak both professed support for keeping the posts as elected. Nowak thought the raise request "is kind of reasonable" but then said, "we have to make some cuts in this community, there's no doubt about it, we cannot afford the continued salaries and benefits that people are getting."

 

Duval said someone could make a motion at the final meeting to add the raises but cautioned they would have to find somewhere else to cut. 

 

But Walto added, "I think it's important to note that we've had several long-serving department heads at the top of their steps, too" and they should be considered for a raise to as "a matter of fairness."

 

At last week's budget workshop, the board had been presented with a budget of $8,152,516 in personal services; $3,158,102 in operating expenses; $956,262 in capital and reserve accounts; a Hoosac Valley School District assessment of $5,958,203; a McCann Technical School assessment of 41,069,566; library/court judgment offset receipts of $46,936; state charges of $56,856; and overlay reserve of $150,000. 

 

"Most of the departments are level funded," Satko said last week. "There was only a very small handful — which you will see once we get to the budget — departments that we did have to go up on."

 

Walto continued that some departments were reduced.

 

"Ashley, again, combed through all expenses with a fine-tooth comb and did whatever she could reduce them," he said. "We only accepted increases from departments that could be proven to be needed."

 

Her combing had eliminated an anticipated $25,000 deficit and the removal the assessment to the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office for 911 services (because that is being taken over by the state) brought the budget $2,300 under the levy limit. 

 

The major factors in the spending plan are a 16 percent increase in health insurance of $112,000, contracted wages and benefits, and school assessments of nearly $7 million, up by about 3 percent. The average single-family home tax bill is expected to be $4,264.

 

On Tuesday, Satko highlighted some changes: workman's comp and unemployment was downsized across the board, some education lines were cut back, the paper line items had been reduced in all departments except accounting, which will see an increase as the placeholder for paper purchases. 

 

"I went through every department the past two to three years to see what the lines were ... and shifted all the paper through the accounting," she said. "But left a little in each line in case they need for envelopes or letterheads."

 

The technology budget was raised from $28,000 to $30,000 to account for new computers that can be upgraded to Windows 11, and the town administrator's line was raised to $125,000 including insurance.

 

Satko said the town will also be upgrading its nearly decade-old phone system to comply with 911. The current phone tree system does not allow for emergency responders to call back to the person seeking 911 assistance. 

 

The line item for legal services was left at $60,600, not counting legal services that fall under the treasurer/tax collector accounts or the Greylock Glen. Nowak and Hoyt both questioned the spending, with Nowak asking for the rate and total being paid to KP Law and Hoyt a percentage breakdown of where the legal services were being spent. Satko said she would get that information.

 

The town's debt service is declining with long-term interest dropping from $195,000 to $175,000; but short-term interest is up from $32,000 to $40,000. The police station bond will be paid off in 2028; the 2020 storm damage bond, with $2.3 million remaining, in 2039; and the $6 million wastewater treatment plant bond in 2044.

 

The board also discussed the use of state Chapter 90 road funds to purchase a new F550 one-ton with a snowplowing package for a base price of $112,000 plus add-ons like a stainless steel bed for a total of $135,000. This will replace a 17-year-old Ford that will be shifted to the glen for use. 

 

Walto said the Department of Public Works wished to lock in the order now as it takes about a year to outfit the truck. He will be bringing the documentation to a board meeting.

 

The next workshop is on Thursday at 6 with review of Public Services; a vote on recommendation will take place on Thursday, April 17.