Weathersfield Select Board Meeting Approves Tax Rate, Accepts Town Manager Resignation on July 14, 2026
Weathersfield Select Board Meeting – July 14, 2026
The Weathersfield Select Board met on July 14, 2026 (transcript references July 13, 2026, a noted discrepancy) to address property tax rates, transfer station fees, the town manager’s resignation, and routine approvals. The board tabled two policy readings, approved the FY27 municipal tax rate and fee schedules, and accepted Town Manager Brandon Gulman’s voluntary resignation with a shortened notice period.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approved: The minutes from the June 22, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously.
- Warrant Approved: The board approved the warrant for July 13, 2026, including general fund payroll ($22,442.20) and operating ($48,503.32), highway fund payroll ($10,224.53) and operating ($2,147.14), solid waste fund payroll ($2,005.03) and operating ($474.39), library payroll ($2,006.88) and operating ($395.61), BMP grants for Gerdot Road ($9,261) and Gerglaut ($14,620), a Vermont Humanities Project Grant ($284.97), and reappraisal funds ($7,250).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Julia Gumbart, speaking on behalf of the Parks and Recreation Commission, announced the third annual Weathersfield Rec Fest on Saturday, August 1, from noon to 6 p.m. She requested volunteers for the dunk tank and a kickball game, and provided contact information (parksrec@weathersfield.org). She confirmed adequate parking is expected.
Discussion Items
- Tabled Policy Readings: Items 10 and 11 (credit card policy first reading and event/fundraiser cash management policy first reading) were tabled to the next meeting via unanimous motion (4 members present).
- FY27 Property Tax Rate: Brendan Gulman reported FY26 total listed value of $351,578,263, increasing by $1,559,415 to $353,137,678 (0.44% increase). The municipal grand list increased by $26,631.70 to $3,383,941.18 (0.79% increase). The non-homestead education tax rate rose by 0.0822 to 1.9865 (4.31% increase), and the homestead rate rose by 0.1880 to 2.1687 (9.49% increase). The actual municipal tax rate was set at 0.8843, up from 0.8054 (0.0789 increase), yielding approximately $79 per $100,000 of assessed value, or $168.69 annually for the average property valued at $213,804.63 ($14.06/month). Appraisals are based on the 2008 reappraisal and will change after the town-wide reappraisal.
- FY27 Quarterly Tax Due Dates: Set to August 19, 2026; November 18, 2026; February 17, 2027; and May 19, 2027.
- Homestead Late Filing Penalty: Set at 3% per 32 VSA 1674 (down from a historical 8% that caused issues in previous years).
- Transfer Station Rates: Permit sticker fee set at $63.68 (up $6.28 from FY26) to precisely cover fixed expenses; punch ticket fee held at $5 per punch. Discussion noted an allocation formula among Weathersfield, West Windsor, and Reading, and a $30,000 deficit reduction included in the budget.
- Future Agenda Items: Board discussed following up on the Crown Point Road reclassification petition and scheduling engineers for the wastewater project. Audit status: FY25 audit will be presented next meeting; FY26 audit expected by November. PILOTs (payments in lieu of taxes) were raised, including federal flood control properties; negotiation authority questioned.
- Town Manager Resignation: After executive session (1 VSA §313(a)(1)(A)), the board read and approved a resignation agreement waiving the 90-day notice requirement, setting Brandon Gulman’s final day as August 14, 2026, and confirming no severance is owed. Gulman expressed gratitude to the community.
- Interim Town Manager: Appointment was tabled to a later date.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous votes (4-0, with one member absent):
- Tabled two policy readings (items 10 and 11) to next meeting.
- Approved minutes of June 22, 2026.
- Set FY27 municipal tax rate at 0.8843.
- Set quarterly tax due dates (Aug 19, Nov 18, 2026; Feb 17, May 19, 2027).
- Set homestead late filing penalty at 3%.
- Set FY27 permit sticker fee to $63.68 and punch ticket fee to $5.
- Approved the warrant for July 13, 2026.
- Accepted the town manager’s resignation agreement (final day Aug 14, 2026, no severance).
- Tabled the appointment of an interim town manager.
- Next Steps: Board to contact petitioners on Crown Point Road reclassification, attend to wastewater project engineer update at next meeting, and address the interim town manager appointment at a future date.
Note: The transcript indicates “today’s July 13th” during the warrant discussion, while the meeting date is recorded as July 14, 2026; this discrepancy is noted per source material.
Meeting Transcript
Oh PD. Five times at the front of the room. Oh yeah. Yep. No, the uh we are there. Right. What's what's happening? I don't know. There's some kind of echo. There it is. Call the loop. Call meeting to order. Please rise for graduations. And to the republic for which it stands. Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. We're gonna go over anything on the agenda for the review. I'd like to take a little the two policy readings. You want to table both policy readings? Yes. Credit card, you want to do the credit card too? Um that's possible. Well, I think it's possible. I thought the treasurer today. Okay. Okay if I'm fine with that. Everybody okay with that? Anything else? Okay. Um would you like to do a motion to uh table those? Uh because they are on the I I moved that we uh table items number seven and sorry, not number nine and ten. Number ten and eleven. Oh, we marked up the wrong one, sorry. Yes. Uh to be tabled to the next meeting. Uh uh, sorry. Second uh motions to make the table items ten and eleven credit card policy first reading and event uh fundraiser cash management policy also first reading. Uh the motion is made and seconded. Any discussion on the motion? Hearing none, all in favor of the motion signify we say aye. Aye. Aye. Uh there are only four board members present, and the motion carries unanimously. Thank you all. A question that means to go to the next meeting or taking the next meeting. No, she tabled sh her motion was to the next meeting. So that is to the next meeting. I thought the things got table that was. Yeah, it oh okay. Generally, but it can be made specific.
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