Oakham Finance Committee Approves Fire Engine Repair, Splits BESS Legal Budget

OAKHAM — April 14, 2026 — Oakham Finance Committee approves fire engine repair and restructures legal budget amid tight FY27 outlook. The committee, chaired by Corey Packard and meeting jointly with the Board of Selectmen on April 14, voted 4-0 to transfer $4,643.49 from the reserve fund to repair the radiator on Engine 3, leaving roughly $18,000 in reserve. Members unanimously split the legal services budget into two line items — $20,000 for general counsel and $75,000 for battery energy storage system litigation — after noting total BESS-related legal spending in FY26 reached approximately $165,000, ten times the town's historical baseline. Resident Lucy De Lia warned that even a favorable ruling from the Energy Facilities Siting Board would trigger an appeal, extending costs. The committee also voted to open two new education accounts for a student attending Norfolk County Agricultural High School under chapter 74, and added an unfunded OPEB line item reflecting a $323,000 town liability. With the highway department down to one employee and police and school budgets still unresolved, the committee estimated a current budget gap of roughly $135,000 that could narrow to $45,000 after vacancy savings — but acknowledged salary increases, particularly the executive secretary's raise from $53,800 to $87,360 at expanded 40 hours per week, partially offset those gains.