Town Meeting warrant includes modest budget hike

Editor’s note: This article, formerly headlined “Town Meeting warrant includes 3.1% hike for general budget,” was substantially updated on February 29 and February 26 to reflect corrections.

By Alice Waugh

At the Annual Town Meeting on March 19, residents will be asked to approve a general government budget of $35,126,576, a Community Preservation Committee (CPC) total of $798,582, and a capital exclusion for DPW equipment of $320,000. The general budget includes Capital Planning Committee amounts of $357,801 in cash capital and $175,400 in maintenance.

The biggest items proposed by the Capital Planning Committee (CapComm) include $215,000 for a new street sweeper and $105,000 for a front-end loader. Those two items must also be approved by voters at the town election on March 28. Also on the CapComm list are sidewalk stairs and a ramp for the library and updated equipment for the police and fire departments.

The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is authorized to recommend expenditures in four areas of community interest: open space, preservation of historic structures, provision of low and moderate income housing, and recreation. CPA funds derive from a 3 percent surcharge on property tax bills supplemented by matching funds from the state.

This year, the CPC received 14 funding proposals and offered nine for discussion at a public hearing on January 21. The largest single item is $405,175 for debt service on the Town Office Building renovation, followed by $225,000 to purchase three acres of land at 24 Sandy Pond Rd. for open space preservation. In addition, the warrant article will include required annual expenditures including administrative expenses and set-asides for housing and historic preservation.

The town operating budget proposal of $35,126,576  for FY 2017 represents an increase of $186,310 (0.5 percent) over this year’s total of $34,940,266. A summary of expected revenues and expenses is below.