Oakham Select Board Reviews Six Small-Board Budgets, Cuts Tree Warden Detail Line

OAKHAM — February 24, 2025 — Oakham's Select Board cleared six small-board budgets Monday in a special FY26 session, with no line facing significant opposition. The Cemetery Commission's $11,100 request — up $100 from last year — drew the most discussion, as the commission's chair reported it has nearly exhausted its current budget and warned that mowing frequency may be reduced mid-summer if funds run tight; the only outside bid received last year came in at $22,000, making in-house arrangements with contractor Ernie Angelier essential to staying solvent. The Tree Warden proposed cutting the police detail line from $4,000 to $2,500 despite an hourly rate increase from $32 to $42. The Historical Commission held its $1,500 request, partly to leave room for a new historical sign costing roughly $1,000, while also flagging a membership crisis — the commission's oldest member is 93, its youngest 75. Board members closed the public session by flagging two budget unknowns: a late-arriving state school assessment expected around April 15, and uncertainty over whether federal education grant cuts made by executive order will eventually be passed on to municipalities.