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Rockport budget could rise if county boosts 911/dispatch fees; staff to update numbers
Summary
Town staff warned the draft 0.74% net increase assumes a 10% county dispatch/911 fee rise but county reporting suggests the increase could be near 40%; staff said if the higher county fees are finalized the town’s net increase could exceed the 1% target.
The presenter alerted the committee that new county budget figures published the same day indicated much higher increases for county dispatch and 911 fees than the 10% assumption in the town’s draft.
“Right now in the 0.74% increase budget we have an assumption of 10% increase but it's we already know it's going to be well above that,” the presenter said, discussing press reporting that suggested a 40% rise in those fees. Staff said the current municipal budget uses a lower assumption and that the town would need to update the draft once the county completes its process.
Staff identified the current municipal line items for 911 and dispatch (combined currently about $127,000 in the worksheet) and noted a 40% increase could add tens of thousands of dollars to the municipal bottom line. The presenter said that, depending on how the figures finalize, the town’s net increase could move from 0.74% to roughly 1.4%–1.5%.
Committee members said they had not yet received definitive county figures; staff pledged to incorporate official county numbers as soon as they are available and to revisit line items at the department review sessions.
