Guilford Finance Board Raises Registrar Pay 5 Percent

Board of Finance · Meeting of August 17, 2026

Guilford's Board of Finance voted to fold the registrar of voters' stipends into salary lines, approving a 5 percent raise effective July 2027 followed by 2.5 percent annual increases. A town finance official identified as Mary Jane reported a projected $2.5 million year-end surplus for fiscal 2025-26, combining a $2.2 million revenue surplus with roughly $350,000 in unspent appropriations. The Board of Education disclosed $21,160.92 in unpaid student lunch debt for the past fiscal year, which the district's business office will try to collect.

Persistent video-conferencing failures prompted First Selectman Matt Hoey, joining by phone, to call the situation "completely unacceptable" and warn the board may have to meet in the Selectmen's conference room until the problem is fixed. The board also confirmed the 60-day clock for filling a vacant Democratic seat runs out near September 20.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,393 words

Source: the Board of Finance meeting of August 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.

The Full Article

Call to Order and Minutes

The meeting opened with a routine procedural item: approval of the July 20, 2026 minutes. The vote carried, but with abstentions from members Elias Kabeche and Amy Earls, who had not attended or reviewed that meeting closely enough to vote in favor, according to the roll taken by Chairman Michael Ayles. No further discussion followed.

Standing Building Committee and Facility Projects

Background and stakes: Guilford has two major capital projects moving toward public votes this fall, and the finance board uses its review of Standing Building Committee minutes to track status.

The question before the body: whether any building-committee business required finance-board attention or comment.

Ayles flagged two upcoming public meetings tied to a proposed new police department site: an informational meeting September 3 at the high school auditorium and the town meeting vote itself on September 15, both scheduled for 7:30 p.m. He also noted a September 9 presentation at 6:30 p.m. in the high school media center on the school facilities needs assessment being conducted by Friar Architects, which Ayles said would brief "all the boards."

A member raised a question about item nine of the Standing Building Committee's minutes concerning HVAC balancing work at a school building referred to in the transcript as "Melissa Jones," believed to be a renovation project that board members said had come in over budget and was expected to be bonded, likely with a rebid, for construction next year. A member tracked down the answer during the meeting by checking Board of Education Operations Committee minutes, confirming the project went over budget.

Procedural steps and outcome: No formal vote was taken; this was an informational review.

Pension Committee

The board noted that pension investment returns were nearly flat month-over-month in June but had grown substantially year-over-year, from roughly $86 million to $96 million. No vote was required.

Board of Education Expenditure Reports

Background and stakes: State statute and local policy require the finance board to formally accept monthly expenditure and warrant reports from the Board of Education for both the closing and newly opened fiscal years.

The question before the body: whether to accept the reports as presented for fiscal year 2025-26 (closing) and fiscal year 2026-27 (opening).

Two Board of Education officials, identified in the meeting only as Linda and Jennifer, presented both reports. For the fiscal year 2025-26 close, July expenditures totaled $503,553.08, representing 99.19 percent of budget, compared with 99.79 percent the prior year. Revenue for the month was $53,166.34, including $28,330.10 from New Haven Public Schools for tuition and $19,500 from a magnet transportation grant.

The presenters disclosed the district ended the year with roughly $600,000 in unspent tuition-line budget, which the Board of Education voted to split: $302,531.96 into a newly created non-lapsing fund (bringing that account's balance well above its prior $152,383.75) and a requested $300,000 to be applied toward the district's medical fund deficit rather than returned to the town's general fund.

A notable disclosure: the district paid $21,160.92 in uncollected student lunch debt during fiscal 2025-26, the highest amount mentioned in recent years. Officials explained that Connecticut schools cannot withhold meals, diplomas, graduation participation or (per one official) college transcripts over unpaid lunch accounts, so the debt is pursued through the business office rather than dining services. "We cannot not serve a student," one presenter said, noting the district budgets $15,000 annually in anticipation of such debt and that a roughly $2,000 community donation, plus a $2,717 donation from the Guilford Newcomers approved by the Board of Education on July 13, would offset but not eliminate the shortfall. Presenters noted the upcoming shift to state-funded universal free breakfast is expected to reduce debt accumulation going forward.

Board members also questioned June payroll spikes, which presenters attributed to annual annuity and balloon payments for school administrators and central office staff rather than any new expense.

For fiscal year 2026-27, the newly opened year, July expenditures totaled $4,523,511.07, about 7.42 percent of budget, compared with 7.83 percent the prior year — a figure presenters said would run consistently higher than prior years because the board cut that budget line by 19.7 percent. Revenue included $11,191.10 in pre-K tuition. The district's payment to the town treasurer for the medical line was $1,176,027.63, a $300,000 increase over the prior month that officials said will recur monthly for the rest of the fiscal year, tied to a medical-budget shortfall partly offset by $100,000 the Board of Education is contributing from its own surplus if the finance board approves the transfer next month.

Members asked line-item questions about a Johnson Controls facilities-management contract (presenters said they would confirm whether it covers one school or the district), an Eastern Datacom "lens support" camera-maintenance charge, and a capital-lease financing landscape that has narrowed to essentially two lenders, with a third, formerly tied to a company called Cogent, expected to bid next year.

Procedural steps and outcome: The board voted separately to accept both reports. The fiscal 2025-26 report ($503,553.08) passed unanimously, as did the fiscal 2026-27 report ($4,523,511.07).

Implications and what is next: The medical fund repayment plan and the $300,000 non-lapsing transfer will likely surface again when the Board of Education's transfer requests reach the finance board, expected next month.

Town Government Year-End Financials and Warrants

Background and stakes: The board annually reviews unaudited year-end town financials before the books close, and approves warrants authorizing payment of town bills.

The question before the body: whether to accept the town's final fiscal 2025-26 financial report and approve outstanding warrants for both the closing and new fiscal years.

A town finance official identified in the meeting only as Mary Jane presented the figures. Revenue came in $230,000 higher than reported the previous month, pushing the year's total revenue surplus to $2.2 million. She said departments overall showed about $140,000 in encumbered purchase orders carried into the new year and an overall expenditure overage of roughly $224,000, but that transfers to be requested next month would resolve most line-item overages.

Specific departmental notes: the fire department ran $328,000 over budget but generated $388,000 in surplus revenue, mostly tied to ambulance billing; a new staffing model adopted in the current year's budget is expected to improve that balance further. The town properties/hydrant line also ran over because of a Connecticut Water rate increase that the town was able to incorporate into its budget only after an earlier referendum failed. Employee benefits ran over largely because nine staff members who moved to the Teamsters union were inadvertently double-budgeted, in both the medical fund and a separate line; officials said this has been corrected for the current year. Capital spending ran $308,000 over, offset by $454,000 designated from fund balance, with some items requesting formal carryover. The golf course posted a revenue surplus after an insurance settlement made the fund whole for pandemic-era membership discounts and lost revenue from a weather-related closure.

Member Amy Earls asked why several departments — police, public works and parks and recreation — came in under budget despite expectations otherwise. Mary Jane said public works deferred summer maintenance to avoid exceeding its overtime line, parks and recreation (per department head Pam Geary, who was reachable by phone) struggled to fully staff seasonal positions, and the police department, overseen by Chief Massey, "typically always has a surplus," attributed to disciplined purchasing rather than any single factor.

Mary Jane projected a total year-end surplus near $2.5 million once the revenue surplus and roughly $350,000 in unspent appropriations are combined, cautioning the figure could shift slightly as late invoices are processed.

"Between last month when I reported June and this month, there's an additional $230,000 of revenue that came in, giving us a surplus of $2.2 million." — Mary Jane, town financial report presenter

Procedural steps and outcome: The board voted to approve the town government expenditure report for July 2026, fiscal 2025-26, in the amount of $714,386 (unanimous). It then separately approved the fiscal 2026-27 warrant report dated August 17, 2026, totaling $756,122.27, and the corresponding weekly warrant report totaling $1,023,599.21 — both unanimous, with members noting the town's practice of approving these in two motions rather than one combined figure.

Meeting Technology Breakdown

During warrant discussion, the board's video-conferencing connection to First Selectman Matt Hoey, participating remotely, degraded badly, with Hoey able to hear only a fraction of the discussion. After a staff member placed a cellphone near the room's microphone to restore audio, Hoey delivered pointed remarks about the persistent failure.

"I can hear every fifth word that you guys are saying... This is completely unacceptable. We cannot conduct this business this way. I have no confidence that the public would be able to participate in any of these meetings, nor your members be remote." — Matt Hoey, First Selectman

Hoey said he, IT staff and legal counsel would address the vendor issue the next day and suggested that, until resolved, any meetings held in that room should be conducted in person only. Ayles agreed the board's next meeting could be relocated to the Selectmen's conference room if the problem persists, pending notice to the public. No vote was required; this was a procedural accommodation discussed in real time.

Committee Reports and Medical Insurance Working Group

The board briefly reviewed its medical self-insurance fund, which closed the prior fiscal year with a $486,000 favorable balance and showed $512,000 to the good after one month of the new year, with a 1.34 average claims ratio and no catastrophic claims yet filed. Member Jeffrey Beatty noted the deductible reset in July affected the comparison.

On committee reports, Ayles noted that member Meghan Scanlon has been nominated to a town medical insurance working group but that the group has not yet met.

Board of Finance Vacancy

Background and stakes: A Democratic-held seat on the Board of Finance became vacant with a resignation effective at the close of the July 20 meeting. Connecticut municipal process gives the Democratic Town Committee 60 days to recommend a replacement.

The question before the body: when the 60-day deadline falls and whether the board's regular September 22 meeting would occur before or after it.

Ayles calculated the deadline falls near September 20, a date complicated by that day being a Sunday and the following Monday a holiday, meaning the board's next regular meeting on September 22 would come after the deadline. He said town staff would ask Town Attorney Pete Pearce to confirm the exact calculation and said a special meeting to seat a new member, if needed, could be brief.

Procedural steps and outcome: No vote was taken; this was an informational status update for the board and the public.

Registrar of Voters Salary Restructuring

Background and stakes: The board had previously discussed, during the budget process, restructuring how the town's registrars of voters are compensated, moving from separate stipends to a unified salary structure.

The question before the body: whether to finalize a new compensation structure for the registrars of voters, a personnel matter the board elected to discuss in executive session.

The board voted to enter executive session, inviting Mary Jane, First Selectman Hoey and an IT staff member referred to as Brendan, while noting that Registrar of Voters staff member Gloria had been informed she could join but was not required to. After deliberating out of public view, the board returned and voted publicly on the substance.

"I will make a motion that we will roll the stipends into the salary line, getting rid of the stipend line." — Amy Earls, Board of Finance member

The motion, seconded, set a 5 percent increase in the combined salary effective July 2027, with 2.5 percent increases in each subsequent year. A member called it "a great proposal" before the vote.

Procedural steps and outcome: The board voted unanimously to approve the restructuring as moved.

Implications and what is next: The change takes effect in the fiscal year beginning July 2027, giving the town a predictable, formula-based raise schedule for registrar of voters compensation rather than a separately negotiated annual stipend.

Adjournment

The board adjourned without further business after Ayles thanked members for a productive discussion on the registrar item.

WHO WAS THERE

Michael Ayles, Chairman, presided over the meeting (role as addressed in the transcript; not independently confirmed by name in the transcript beyond contextual references). Amy Earls, member, present, moved the registrar of voters salary motion. Elias Kabeche, member, present, abstained on the July 20 minutes vote. Meghan Scanlon, member, present, nominated to the medical insurance working group. Jeffrey Beatty, member, present, commented on the medical fund report. Robert Hartmann, member, absent ("missing Mr. Hartman tonight"). Mary Jane, town finance official (title not confirmed in sources), presented town government financial reports and warrants. Linda and Jennifer, Board of Education officials (titles not confirmed), presented school expenditure reports. Matt Hoey, First Selectman, participated remotely and raised the technology complaint. Pete Pearce, referenced by the board to confirm vacancy-deadline calculations and offered guidance on executive-session procedure; title not confirmed in sources. Brendan, IT staff member (surname not given), monitored the meeting screen and technology. Gloria, Registrar of Voters office staff member (surname not given), available by email but did not join the call. Pam Geary, Parks and Recreation department head, reached by phone to explain a budget variance. Chief Massey, Police Department, referenced for the department's consistent budget surplus; first name not given.

ORGANIZATIONS AND DOCUMENTS REFERENCED

Friar Architects — conducting the school facility needs assessment to be presented September 9. Democratic Town Committee — responsible for recommending a replacement for the vacant Board of Finance seat within 60 days. New Haven Public Schools — paid $28,330.10 to Guilford schools for tuition, cited in the Board of Education revenue report. Guilford Newcomers — donated $2,717 toward student lunch debt, approved by the Board of Education July 13. Cogent (lease financing entity) — assigned a district capital lease to another bank, prompting discussion of a shrinking lender pool for tax-exempt municipal leases. Connecticut Water — increased hydrant pricing, cited as the cause of a town properties budget overage. Board of Education Operations Committee minutes, July 13, 2026 — cited to confirm the "Melissa Jones" HVAC project came in over budget. Teamsters union — nine town staff members' transition cited as the cause of an employee-benefits budget overage.