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“I am committed to continuing managing the town as efficiently as possible while being cognizant of those who are struggling financially," Tetreau said, thanking the town’s department directors and managers and the superintendent and his team for their budget work.
Tetreau is proposing a town-side budget of just under $130 million — a .22 percent decrease over last year's town-side budget.
This budget does not reduce or defer any services, he said.
The reduction is due to lower healthcare costs after a move to a new healthcare plan for town employees, lower annual debt service, lower worker compensation expenses, lower pension costs and lower fees and professional services, Tetreau said.
This budget includes the annually recommended pension contribution; more money for road paving, sidewalk maintenance, Public Works equipment, snow removal, Senior Center support; and continued funding for school security personnel, among other items.
On Jan. 28, the Board of Education voted to recommend the superintendent’s proposal for a $165.4 million school budget, a 2.59 percent increase over last year.
"I am recommending a slightly smaller education budget, which results in a $164.7 million budget, a 2.14 percent increase over last year," Tetreau said. "This is an administrative adjustment and has no impact on students, teachers or curriculum."
He said he was recommending a cut of $730,000 due to lower health care costs and accounting.
The combined impact of both the town and education budgets leads to a proposed net increase of 1.09 percent, Tetreau said. This is the second lowest budget increase in the past 20 years.
The projected mill rate for this budget is 25.57, he said. In the most recent revaluation, nearly 40 percent of property owners’ assessments decreased by 3 percent or more. "Therefore, the best way to estimate a real estate tax bill would be to multiply the newly assessed value of the property by the projected mill rate," he said.
Click here to see the 2016-17 proposed budget. Information on the budget process can be found by clicking here. The public is invited to attend the budget hearings starting in March or view them online on FairTV.
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