Preston selectmen send $6.52 million spending plan to Board of Finance for review

First Selectwoman Sandra Allyn-Gauthier and the Preston Board of Selectmen voted unanimously on March 11 to send a proposed Board of Selectmen budget of $6,517,193 to the Board of Finance for review, contingent on WPCA budget approval on March 16.

The proposal, presented by Finance Director Cindy Varricchio, centers on several cost drivers the board said were necessary to address increased development pressures and restore services trimmed in prior years. Key increases include roughly $214,000 in wages (including performance-based raises and Riverwalk-related adjustments), an estimated $388,000 increase in employee benefits, and a $25,000 line for an upcoming assessor revaluation. The budget also reflects a $127,000 placeholder to restore a Resident State Trooper position and adds 1.5 full-time equivalents to Fire/EMS staffing.

Why it matters: the board said restoring maintenance and staffing now will position the town to manage near-term growth and infrastructure demands tied to the Riverwalk project. Officials also noted that aggressive grant-seeking in prior years has removed several large-ticket capital items from Preston’s local share, easing taxpayer pressure on the capital plan.

Supporting details: the budget package preserves funding for road maintenance, restores a shared maintenance worker position, budgets $20,000 for Transfer Station capital improvements, and provides modest increases for the town library and Parks & Recreation coordinator. Varricchio told the board the draft revenues were prepared conservatively because prior-year cash cushions were used when last year’s budget did not pass, and grants reimbursement timing can affect short-term cash flow.

During public comment, resident Thomas Wright asked if the firefighter increase represented 1.0 or 1.5 positions; the minutes record the response as “1.5.” The minutes also record that the state trooper amount was chosen as a mid-range estimate and that the government budget’s percent change was listed at 15.6% without debt service or 8.61% with debt service.

The board’s motion to forward the $6,517,193 proposal to the Board of Finance was moved by Selectman Jerry Grabarek, seconded by Selectman Ken Zachem, and carried unanimously. The Board of Finance will review the proposal and set the next steps in the town’s budget and mill-rate process.