Voters can hear more about Deep River’s proposed $18,139,700 budget for 2019-’20, an increase of $1,146,345 or 6.75 percent over last year’s approved budget, at a Board of Finance Budget Public Hearing on Tuesday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Auditorium before the proposal moves to a Monday, May 20 town meeting at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall. Although the proposal increases spending, the town plans to draw from its unappropriated town surplus general fund to keep the mill rate flat at 29.42.

The proposal includes $12,396,053 for education, an increase of $516,682 or 4.35 percent. Deep River’s share of the proposed 2019-’20 Region 4 budget, if adopted at referendum on Tuesday, May 7, will be $7,131,407, an increase of $447,829 or 6.70 percent.

The Deep River Elementary School budget proposal is for $5,264144, an increase in spending of $68,351 or 1.32 percent. That number may change slightly, as the state has mandated the town add $68,000 to its current 2018-’19 budget to meet Minimum Budget Requirement standards or face a $136,000 loss in funding. The town has applied for a waiver from that requirement, however, because that $68,000 reduction to the current budget was saved due to the retirement of a teacher who was not replaced due to decreased enrollment. If the waiver is granted by the state, the Deep River Elementary School budget will remain flat for the 2019-’20 fiscal year.

The town spending proposal, including debt payments, is $5,743,647, an increase of $629,663 or 12.31 percent. First Selectman Angus McDonald said the biggest drivers to the increases in the town spending this year are employee benefits, which are up 14.5 percent.

“Thankfully, there is not a lot of increase this year in any one area really, because every part of the town government has done a great job and worked very hard to help keep the mill rate flat,” said McDonald.