Proposed Town Budget up 3 Percent

Interim Town Manager Terence Delehanty has presented the fiscal year 2019 budget to the Town Council for consideration and it is roughly three percent higher than the fiscal year 2018 budget for the operation of the town, including schools.

“This year’s general operating budget is balanced, with estimated operating revenues of $50,570,025,” Delehanty stated. “I feel it’s important to remind everyone that before we add additional positions we should ensure that every budget, school and town, should have the same level of service that they had last year.”

“Keep in mind, much like a Christmas wish list some requests do not make the cut,” said Council President Ron Vecchia. “It is all about prioritizing our needs for the upcoming year.”

But he said this is not the case with the school department for the next fiscal year. The school department had requested a $3,198,410 increase over last years. A final figure was brought down to $1,185,215 to have level services in next year’s budget.

“After significant review we were only able to fund the School Department $800,000 above last year’s budget,” Delehanty stated, adding that it’s a 3.8 percent increase.

This leaves the school department with a shortfall of roughly $385,215.

Delehanty stated that the team responsible for developing the balanced budget had to make difficult decisions and some areas were removed from the budget like: additional overtime funding for police and fire; sidewalk repairs; a DPW truck; police cruiser; funding for the ferry, funding for the gymnasium, OPEB Trust Funding and contract services for a town planner. The truck and the cruiser were added to the capital improvements list.

The council will hold public hearings on the budget and residents will have an opportunity to address all budget items. As in the past any additions or changes made to the budget must be accompanied by an offset (what item is to be eliminated) to fund the change.

“The budget has many moving parts with a final determination of cherry sheet receipts not known until we approach early summer,” Vecchia said.