Staff presents executive budget; capital set-aside reallocated to streets and sanitation

At the June 5 budget workshop, a staff member outlined the executive (administration) budget and explained a reduction in that line largely reflected reallocation of a capital improvement set-aside to streets and sanitation to purchase a needed piece of equipment.

Staff said last year's executive budget was about $1,406,191 and the anticipated executive budget for the coming fiscal year is $1,371,004.50, and noted that the townwide draft budget shown at the workshop was balanced at about $10,179,300. The staff described several cost pressures: a proposed cost-of-living adjustment of roughly 3% for personnel and an employer health-insurance increase of about 11.8 percent.

The staff also said the town has experienced elevated legal and engineering expenses this year and expects to seek reimbursement for some legal costs under development agreements, which should reduce next year's legal expense burden. Council members asked about town-hall maintenance after AC problems earlier in the meeting and about equipment for event logistics; staff noted a capital appropriation in the streets and sanitation line (about $150,000) to cover a new backhoe, estimated in discussion at roughly $134,000–$135,000.

A council member asked whether the town charges a 3% fee when residents pay by credit card; staff said the town does not currently pass that processing fee to payers and that the fee has been negotiated down in past transactions, but the town could reconsider policy if needed.

The Chair emphasized that the millage rate would stay the same and attributed room to maintain service levels to property-value increases and higher business-license revenues, saying the town could run services without raising the millage rate in the coming year.

The workshop concluded without votes; the council took a brief break and returned for a scheduled public hearing at 6:30 p.m.