Barre budgets taking shape
Toolbox
By David Delcore Times Argus Staff - Published: March 7, 2009
BARRE TOWN – Town Meeting Day may now be in Vermont's rearview mirror, but officials in Barre Town are just getting ready for their annual town meeting.
According to Town Manager Carl Rogers, a citizens' budget committee is still reviewing 10 budgets – including the two that will be on the town's ballot in May.
The committee began its deliberations more than a month ago and has until the end of this month to wrap up work, according to Rogers, who said the selectboard must adopt general and highway fund budgets by March 31.
Rogers said he has recommended slight reductions in both of those budgets, but explained a tax rate hike of roughly 1.5 cents would be needed if no changes are made. For the owner of a home assessed at $150,000 that would mean paying an additional $22 in taxes to finance the operation of town government and maintain local highways.
According to Rogers, most of the increase – nearly $1.4 cents – would be triggered by approval of his proposed $2.8 million general fund budget. Although that budget calls for spending nearly $31,000 less than voters approved a year ago – a 1 percent reduction – Rogers said the current budget was balanced using more than $100,000 in surplus funds. Those funds were used to negate the tax increase that would have been needed to pay for the acquisition of a cemetery columbarium and the purchase of a document imaging system for the police department – both one-time expenses.
Another reason for the estimated rate hike involves the projected loss of nearly $25,000 in non-tax revenue. That loss is primarily attributable to the Barre Town School Board's decision to reduce its municipal cost-sharing payment by $27,500 during the coming fiscal year, Rogers said.
According to Rogers, the budget, presented for the committee's consideration, does reflect an increase of almost $21,000 in the town's per capita charge to its ambulance fund and an increase of almost $12,500 in the town's annual payment to Barre Area Development Corp. However, Rogers' proposal does not include a requested increase of $5,000 in the town's annual contribution to the Aldrich Public Library, $5,000 for fence repair, $3,000 for sealing a basketball court in South Barre, and $2,500 to purchase softball infield clay.
Meanwhile, Rogers has asked the committee to consider a $2.6 million highway fund budget that calls for spending roughly $18,000 less than the spending plan voters approved a year ago. However, while spending would drop .7 percent under the proposal, Rogers said it would require a tax increase nearly .2 cents.
Rogers said the need for a tax increase is tied to last year's decision to use $35,000 in surplus funds to balance the budget and a projected 5 percent drop in state aid for town highways.
Spending is down due to the selectboard's decision not to replace a public works employee who resigned last year and the fact the one-time restoration of the brook that runs along Sterling Hill Road is not repeated – saving roughly $35,000.
According to Rogers, the committee has already recommended a number of adjustments to the ambulance fund – all cost saving measures that come in response to decisions by East Montpelier and Calais to stop contracting with Barre Town for their emergency medical services. The largest savings will come from selling one of the town's fleet of ambulances. The ambulance service per capita rate that the town charges its general fund and its remaining customer towns will increase to $27.50 on July 1.
Although the municipal tax rate would tick up based on the budgets proposed by Rogers, he said residents hooked on to the town's water system could see some savings when newly drilled wells go on line.
Rogers is predicted the consumption-based rate the town charges its water customers will drop from $4.46- to $3.90-per-100 cubic feet of water. That would translate into a $25 annual savings for a typical customer, he said. However, a portion of that savings – approximately $12 – would be offset by a projected increase in the sewer rent charge from $274 to $286 annually.
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