Chester board continues to look at cost of town services, welcomes comments

By Shawn Cunningham
©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Chester’s Select Board will continue looking at the cost of the services the town provides to residents and property owners at its regular meeting on Wednesday July 15.

Town Manager Julie Hance has often said that the town’s budgets reflect the cost of the services the town provides and if taxpayers want lower rates, the town would have to cut services. This summer, Hance has asked the Chester Select Board to review the services that the town provides so that taxpayers can understand the work that each department does and think about the value of each versus the cost to taxpayers.

On July 15, the board will be looking at the Recreation Department and the combined functions of Planning, Zoning and Assessing. You can watch that meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom or attend in person at Town Hall, 556 Elm Street.

You can look at the Planning/Zoning/Assessment presentation here.

And the Recreation Department’s presentation is here.

On July 1, the Select Board began looking at the Town Clerk’s office and the facilities manager. You can find our story on that here.  The duties of the clerk are pretty much set in Vermont law and, as the world has become more complex, so has the job. The facilities manager position was created when the town looked at how much it was spending on contractors for repairs and maintenance and thought having someone on staff to handle those as well as other tasks.

Former lister and veteran budget watcher Wanda Purdy said that taxes are high and she is having to cut back on what she can spend. Purdy believes the town services are growing faster than the town can afford them and the select board should also cut back wherever it can. She pointed to the 100% percent health coverage that town employees receive and said that an 80/20 split “could save a lot of money.” Purdy said that Chester is a small town and “maybe we don’t need all these things.”

Urged by board chair Lee Gustafson to tell her neighbors and friends to come to these meetings, Purdy said, “A lot of people won’t stand up and say anything.”

Reviews of town services at Select Board Wednesday meetings

Aug. 5 –  Public Safety (Police/Fire/Ambulance);
Aug. 19 – Highway.