SABATTUS — The Board of Selectmen approved 40 warrant articles for fiscal year 2016-2017 to be presented at town meeting on Thursday, May 19.
The board’s proposed budget $2.55M offers a $5,085 decrease in the town’s operating budget and a $40,000 increase in the capital budget, compared to the current budget. The effect this will have on the mill rate has yet to be determined.
A majority of the board and several members of the Budget Committee were present at the meeting and were in agreement with most of the budget items except for the following:
• The board approved $143,000 to fund the Fire Department; the Budget Committee approved a lower amount of $142,376, a difference of $624. Part of this fund would be used to increase the fire chief’s salary.
• The board approved $14,500 to fund the Emergency First Responder Program; the Budget Committee did not include any funding for this department.
• The board approved $470,000 to fund the Public Works Department; the Budget Committee’s approved $480,113. The board presented a lower amount due to the allotted cost of fuel for town vehicles, which has been consistently under budget for the past few years.
Both entities were in agreement on the following future capital equipment purchases:
• Fire Department vehicles, $50,000;
• a new Public Works truck, $20,000;
• a replacement roll-off container truck, $20,000;
• a police cruiser, $15,000; and
• a thermal imaging camera for the Fire Department, $6,000 to be combined with an existing $6,000 in the Fire Department capital account.
The Budget Committee proposed a new article to establish a fund for estimated expenses for stormwater management projects. This article, if passed, will create an account but no set dollar amount will be determined for fiscal year 2016-17.
A new article to fund up to $5,000 worth of construction materials for a town gazebo was approved.
According to Norm LaPlante, project coordinator, estimated cost for materials is $10,500. If passed, any other funding for the building will be made up of private donations.
The next board meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall.
Regional School Unit 4 Superintendent Jim Hodgkin will be present to discuss the anticipated decrease in state revenue sharing and the effects this might have on the fiscal year 2016-17 school budget.
In other business, road construction on Pleasant Hill Road has started and drivers are urged to find an alternate route or to expect delays.
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