Warren council approves preliminary budget changes, reallocates $10,000 to Hope and Main and sets tax levy

Warren Town Council on April 14 approved a series of preliminary budget adjustments for fiscal year 2025-26, reallocating $10,000 to local social service provider Hope and Main, reducing a planned rescue truck appropriation and setting the town's preliminary tax levy and sewer use fees.

Council members moved to remove a $10,000 line item listed under grants and contributions and to cover that amount from a restricted social services donations account (account number cited in the meeting as 35101010000). Anne Marie Roy agreed to the use of the restricted account, and council members approved the reallocation during the budget session.

The council also revisited funding for a rescue/emergency truck. Town staff reported further research indicated a remount of the existing truck with a lease-payment structure likely was the most cost-effective option. A leasing proposal with $80,000-per-year payments for five years was discussed; the council heard that the first payment, if a contract were signed July 1, would likely come from reserves and that the remaining payments would be budgeted in the following fiscal year. The remount turnaround was described as about 210 days. Councilors debated timing and prepayment terms, including a 3 percent prepayment penalty and an interest rate cited in the discussion of about 4.97 percent. After discussion, the council changed the rescue-truck line item in the preliminary budget from $103,000 to $85,000 and updated the fire and safety total accordingly.

Councilors also approved a change to equipment replacement totals, reducing a public-safety equipment replacement line from $167,000 to $149,000.

On utilities and revenues, the council set proposed sewer-use fees at a total of $2,234,236, which the meeting record tied to a per-unit equivalent of $450. Council members said the increase is intended to cover current deficits and permit repayment of amounts drawn from reserves in the current fiscal year.

For overall revenue, the council approved a preliminary total tax levy of $28,680,756 and set the real estate tax rate at $14.89 per $1,000 of assessed value. The council also set a tangible (commercial) tax rate at $18.01 per $1,000. All motions recorded in the meeting passed on votes of "Aye" as shown on the transcript; no roll-call vote with named tallies was recorded in the meeting transcript.

The council concluded by adjourning the session. The actions taken were recorded as preliminary budget approvals and reallocations; final adoption and any further reallocations will occur in subsequent formal budget actions as required by the town's budget process.