The first public hearing on the proposed FY 15 Town Budget is set for Monday, Dec. 16. A bond hearing, if necessary, will take place Monday, Dec. 23, and the second budget hearing and adoption of the FY 15 budget and warrant articles is Jan. 20, 2004.
Town Manager Kevin Smith told the Town Council at a budget workshop Monday night that the deadline for petitioned warrant articles is Jan. 14, 2014.
The Council will sign the warrant at a special meeting Thursday, Jan. 23. The Town Deliberative Session is Saturday, Feb. 8.
Smith responded to previous questions raised at budget meetings and said the total savings from reduced or eliminated positions is almost $151,000. He also noted that town elections cost $3,484.
“There was a savings of $27,000 from Property Liability Insurance and a Solid Waste savings of $99,000, for a total savings of $193,698,” Smith said. “Putting aside $25,000 as a cushion, more or less there is $168,698 remaining to be allocated, and as an example of where some of these monies could go would be library books, for which they originally requested $30,000. We’re doing $10,000 there. Fire training requested an additional $7,000 for Old Home Day, adding the line item to the fire department for the fireworks.”
Town Council Chairman John Farrell asked if that amount would be taken from the Town Manager’s budget and put in the Fire Department budget and Smith said the Old Home Day budget was reduced by $1,500. He said last year Old Home Day received $6,500; its budget was being reduced to $5,000, with $7,000 going into the Fire Department for the Old Home Day fireworks.
Smith said Senior Affairs programs were receiving an additional $5,000, and $100,000 was going to the Road Maintenance Trust Fund and $55,000 to Public Works garage renovations, which would allow the completion of almost the entire garage renovation, with the balance used from the Expendable Maintenance Trust Fund. That means the work would not have to be done in two phases as was originally recommended, Smith said.
Smith said total allocations were $182,500, with $11,198 remaining below default.
Regarding bonds, Farrell asked if there were any bonds to be discussed. None were mentioned.
Councilor Tom Freda asked if the meeting that night was the deadline for introducing a bond and Hickey said it was because they needed seven business days to post the hearing for Dec. 23.
“So we need to make a determination tonight if there are any bonds that need to be heard so it can be posted with seven clear days,” Hickey said.
Town Councilor Tom Dolan moved to accept the preliminary budget of $27,919,988, with a tax rate of $4.82 per thousand. The budget is $166,198 below default. The motion was approved unanimously.
Freda made a motion to propose an Expendable Maintenance Trust Fund warrant article of $100,000, with a tax rate of 0.03 cents per thousand. It passed unanimously.
He also proposed an article for garage renovations for $180,000, with a tax rate of 0.05 cents per thousand, which passed unanimously, as well as a motion for a warrant article to update the commercial and industrial assessment of the town in the amount of $145,000, at a tax rate of 0.04 cents per thousand; a warrant article for a Roadway Maintenance Trust Fund at $275,000 and a tax rate of 0.07 cents per thousand; and a warrant article for sewer funds in the amount of $2,629,815, with no tax rate because user fees are used. All passed unanimously.
Freda also made a motion for a special revenue fund to accept police detail revenue in the amount of $490,322, which again passed unanimously.