Voters gave quick approval Tuesday night to the town’s proposed $9,256,455 budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. Few questions were asked by some 60 voters in attendance at the Annual Town Meeting that lasted just under an hour.
Town Manager Tim Pellerin explained that nearly all the increases in the budget, which is about 10% more than last year, can be attributed to higher salaries for employees; new equipment for the police, fire and highway departments; and inflationary cost increases for fuel and other necessary commodities.
Voters approved appropriating $850,000 from the town’s $6 million undesignated funds account; the remaining $1.58 million General Government appropriation will come from general taxation. In response to a voter’s question, Assistant Town Manager Jennifer Janelle said the undesignated fund portfolio includes both FDIC insured and other investments that are projected to return $50,000 in interest in the coming year.
Town employees will receive an 8.7% cost of living increase to make town wages competitive in today’s job market, said Pellerin. Rising health care insurance costs have brought the cost of employee benefits to $1.46 million.
Total salaries of $1.38 million are the largest expense in the $1.65 million Police Department budget. Dispatch costs of $273,922 make up the remainder. The Town will also expend $70,000 for the annual replacement of one police cruiser and for two additional safety shields for the officers.
This year’s capital improvement budget includes $90,000 for the purchase of the new fire truck, approved by voters last year.
The state Department of Transportation’s recent mandate that the town assume responsibility for maintaining the section of Route 236 from the intersection of Route 4 (Portland Street) to the intersection of Route 91 required hiring an additional driver and purchasing a $130,000 plow truck, allowing crews to maintain the current level of service for all town roads, said Public Works Director Jay Redimarker. The town used 2,080 tons of salt this past year, but has budgeted for 3,000 tons, he said, noting a 21% increase in the cost of salt is expected.
There was loud applause for Redimarker when Pellerin praised him and the public works crew for working 24 hours straight during the Christmas storm, then 36 hours straight in a storm two weeks later.
To sustain the current level of emergency service and to help fund a new ambulance, voters approved a total of $191,640, with $101,640 coming from the emergency services account and $90,000 from the Capital/Reserve account. The town contracts with York Ambulance Association for the 24-hour service, which last year made over 800 local calls. The reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid does not provide enough funds to sustain the service, said Pellerin, requiring additional subsidy from the town to keep the service. Costs could rise to as much as $300,000 in the next year, he added.
Representative Tiffany Roberts said the state government is working on a plan to provide relief funding to help communities bear the burden of the cost of emergency services.
