Capital investment highlights fiscal 2021 municipal budget proposal

Town Manager Matthew Sturgis has proposed a municipal and Community Services budget of $14.2 million for fiscal 2021, up 5.9 percent over this year's spending for town services. [download budget proposal]

The Town Council, acting as the Finance Committee, will review the proposal in a televised workshop at 7 p.m. March 16. [see full budget review schedule]

"The budget as brought forward contains some significant capital item purchases," Sturgis said at the March 9 meeting of the Town Council.

The capital plan includes significant investment in public-safety infrastructure, including new police radios, breathing apparatus for the Fire Department and the installation of a new communications tower at the Recycling Center, Sturgis said.

Other capital expenditures Sturgis highlighted:

  • New LED lighting to replace the current energy inefficient streetlighting;
  • Replacement of the public works tool carrier;
  • Phase III of the Scott Dyer Road reconstruction project;
  • Replacement of the Hannaford Field turf, with funding offset in-part by the replacement fund set up at the field's inception;
  • Drainage work at Kettle Cove.

Many of these items will take take advantage of lease-purchase arrangements that will minimize cost and provide stable expenditures over the next five years, Sturgis said.

Also offsetting capital expenses are anticipated carry-forward balances in excess of $500,000, and use of $1.3 million in from the unassigned funds. "This will lower the current amount of unassigned funds but keep the overall level of unassigned funds healthy and properly in line with current policy," Sturgis said.

The Fort Williams Park Fund will also cover $200,000 budgeted for additional improvements to paving and drainage at the park.

Revenues from sources other than property taxes are also forecast to increase, said Sturgis, citing excise taxes, revenues from Community Service programming and the pay-and-display parking program at Fort Williams Park.

Finally, said Sturgis, the town will benefit from increased revenue sharing forecast in Gov. Janet Mills' state budget. "Last year it was set at 3 percent, this year it's set at 3.5 percent, which is going to reflect a significant increase to the town," Sturgis said.

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