Hanover Select Board Sharpens Focus on 10-Tier Water Rate Overhaul and Ambulance Fee Increases

HANOVER - June 1, 2026 - The Hanover Select Board kicked off its new session with an intensive goal-setting workshop followed by a packed regular meeting, heavy on utility rate decisions. The board reached a strong consensus to move forward with a streamlined, consumer-friendly 10-tier water rate structure that protects low-volume residential users, while simultaneously reviewing a recommended 13% spike in baseline ambulance fees driven by skyrocketing supply costs and an expanding scope of medical practice.

The Full Story

The evening commenced early with the Select Board’s annual goal-setting session, where member Jim Hoyes presented a consolidated framework consisting of six major strategic areas built from individual board member feedback. These core focuses include financial sustainability, operational excellence, infrastructure innovation, community well-being, environmental stewardship, and regional collaboration.

A significant portion of the workshop centered on organizational bandwidth and local communication. Board members lauded the tireless efforts of town staff but acknowledged that many departments are currently stretched thin. Chair Greg Satterwhite suggested exploring a formal list of municipal functions rather than just job descriptions to discover operational efficiencies, while Hoyes emphasized the need to carefully evaluate what non-essential services could potentially be scaled back to prevent employee burnout.

Transitioning into the regular meeting, the highlight of the night belonged to town engineering intern Anthony, who delivered two masterfully researched presentations regarding the fiscal year 2027 water and ambulance rate structures.