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Town manager proposes $25,000 highway budget bump after heavy winter spending
Summary
Town manager Duane Moore told the board that winter spending reduced the winter account from about $160,000 at budget review to roughly $87,000 after March, and said he will recommend increasing the highway article by $25,000 (funded from excise tax) at town meeting to ensure sufficient funds for next winter.
The town manager reported that unusually frequent small snow events and higher diesel prices depleted the town's winter public-works account and said he will recommend an increase in the highway budget article at the annual town meeting.
Duane Moore said that during the budget-review period the winter account showed about $160,000, then March operations used roughly $85,000, leaving approximately $87,000 in that account. "I'm hoping that that's the end of winter today," Moore said, and described anticipated year-end needs: "when everything's all said and done, most probably around 75,000 that we're bringing forward." To cover potential shortfalls, Moore said he would recommend that the board "bump that to another 25,000," funding the change from excise-tax receipts rather than a direct tax increase.
Moore explained drivers of the overrun: a season of many small storms requiring repeated treatment and relatively high material costs (he cited $89 per ton for salt and higher stone-dust prices). He said typical annual spending averages about $130,000 but this year is tracking closer to $170,000 due to both operations and increased diesel costs.
Board members acknowledged the recommendation and the manager said he will notify the town meeting moderator and submit the motion so voters can consider the increased highway appropriation at the upcoming meeting.
What happens next: The manager will present the motion at town meeting for a voter decision; the funding plan presented to the board relies on excise taxes to absorb the increase.
