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04/05/2022 12:00 AMOn Wednesday, April 13 at 7 p.m., Westbrook voters can get their questions answered and make their feelings known on the proposed budget at a public hearing at Town Hall. The town is proposing a budget with a two percent increase in spending.
At the March 30 Board of Finance (BOF) meeting, the board approved a proposed budget of $31,907,606, a $629,309 or two percent increase. The board also approved a capital plan with $3,467,530 worth of projects proposed for fiscal year 2022-’23.
First Selectman John Hall pointed out that while there is a two percent increase in spending, “we also have some increases in the revenue side to offset that.”
One significant new expense is the inclusion of a third full-time police officer in the proposed budget. Adding another officer to Westbrook had been something on which Hall campaigned on when running for first selectman in 2021.
Finance Director Donna Castracane pointed out that besides the additional officer, there was “the continued contract with an outside company for zoning work, as well as estimated health insurance increases due to rising costs” that contributed to the budget increase.
Castracane also shed some light on the projects proposed in year one of the capital plan.
“Some of the bigger items are: $81,000 in various I.T. projects including bringing fiber to the Town Hall, $41,000 to purchase an 18-foot boat for the harbor patrol and Harbor Commission, $1,728,000 to replace the Town Hall and library roofs, $125,000 for design and engineering so that a possible new community center can be presented to residents, and continued funding for paving, sidewalks, fleet replacement, open space, and the wastewater management program,” said Castracane.
Hall added that another one of the high-profile proposed projects include the replacement of the final two jetties, a project started about three years ago.
“We’re also putting a significant amount of money into the paving program as we have been doing. We want to make sure our roads are safe,” said Hall.
Hall said it’s a good thing the town has several projects lined up for the next year.
“We’re in a position where we can fund these projects and not have to postpone them,” Hall said.
As for the mill rate, Castracane said it is difficult to project what it will be at this time.
“At this point, discussion of a specific mill rate is preliminary. Final numbers will be calculated and discussed after the public hearing on April 13. Given that this is a revaluation year, it is difficult to use any mill rate to compare what will happen to a resident’s taxes over the current year,” said Castracane.
“I can say that due to the increase in the Grand List for 2021, the mill rate will be lower than the current 25.00. The BOF is making every effort to keep the mill rate as low as it can to help mitigate any possible tax increase associated with higher assessments due to revaluation,” she continued.
Hall said that the partnership between the Board of Selectmen, the BOF, and the department heads worked well together to come up with the proposed budget.
“I want to thank the department heads, the BOF, and the Board of Selectmen for the job they did to keep the expense increase to only two percent. Given the inflation, fuel costs, labor costs, that’s a lot of work,” said Hall.
At the public hearing, speakers can voice their opinions for or against the proposed budget and capital plan. Immediately following the public hearing, the BOF will hold a meeting at which it can make any last changes to either the education or town budget before sending the budget to a town meeting.
This year the proposed budget will be approved at a yet to be scheduled town meeting. Last year the town voted by referendum where only three people voted against the proposed budget.