05/16/2017

Recommended $24.9 million school budget goes to referendum

The Town Council on May 15, 2017 approved a $38.7 million combined budget for 2017-18, including a $24.9 million school budget that is $1 less than what the School Board recommended. A validation referendum on the school budget will be held June 13. [news article]

Councilors voted 4-2 to approve the budget after four deadlocked votes on proposals to trim both school and town spending. Councilors Penny Jordan, Caitlin Jordan, Patty Grennon and chair Jamie Garvin ultimately voted to approve the budget, and to send the School Board's recommended budget - minus $1 - to referendum.

Councilors Kathy Ray and Jessica Sullivan voted against.

The combined budget will mean a tax rate of $18.19 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, up 3.7 percent, or 65 cents over this year's rate.

The approved town budget of $12,137,599 is $48,000 less than was presented at a public hearing May 5. A $48,000 administrative assistant position for the facilities department was removed from the budget following the resignation of director Greg Marles and pending restructuring of the department.

Councilors on May 15 also rejected a School Board request to have half of any additional state subsidy the schools may realize after budget approval to replenish the department's unassigned fund balance. Instead, councilors voted to direct any unanticipated state subsidy solely to tax relief, and if subsidy comes to less than the $1.9 million budgeted, the schools may curtail spending to offset the shortfall.

Also at the special meeting, the council voted to appoint Shore Road resident Jim Kerney to an unexpired term on the Fort Williams Park Committee, ending in December 2018.

Here is a summary of the general-fund budget proposals. More detailed information is available in this website's budget section:

Budget summary and proposed tax impact: [download]

	FY 2017	FY 2018	$ Change	% Change
	BUDGET	BUDGET	FY 17  to FY 18	FY 17  to FY 18
EXPENDITURES
TOTAL MUNICIPAL	$    12,052,688	$    12,137,599	$             84,911	0.7%
COUNTY ASSESSMENT	$      1,247,048	$      1,331,050	$             84,002	6.7%
Local Homestead Exemption	$         312,000	$         320,000	$               8,000	2.6%
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT	$    24,287,545	$    24,879,013	$           591,468	2.4%
	$    37,899,281	$    38,667,662	$           768,381	2.0%
REVENUE
TOTAL MUNICIPAL	$      4,950,000	$      4,938,670	$           (11,330)	-0.2%
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT	$      3,433,270	$      3,012,658	$          (420,612)	-12.3%
TOTAL	$      8,383,270	$      7,951,328	$          (431,942)	-5.2%
NET TO TAXES
TOWN  SERVICES	$      7,102,688	$      7,198,929	$             96,241	1.4%
Local Homestead Exemption	$         312,000	$         320,000	$               8,000	2.6%
COUNTY ASSESSMENT	$      1,247,048	$      1,331,050	$             84,002	6.7%
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT	$    20,854,275	$    21,866,355	$        1,012,080	4.9%
TOTAL	$    29,516,011	$    30,716,334	$        1,200,323	4.1%
TAX RATES (Rounded to nearest ¢)
Local Homestead Exemption	$              0.18	$              0.19	$                0.01	5.6%
TOTAL MUNICIPAL	$              4.22	$              4.26	$                0.04	0.9%
COUNTY ASSESSMENT	$              0.74	$              0.79	$                0.05	6.6%
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT	$             12.40	$             12.95	$                0.55	4.4%
TOTAL	$             17.54	$             18.19	$                0.65	3.71%
TAX RATE VALUATION BASIS	1,682,000,000	1,688,300,000	$   6,300,000.00	0.4%