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04/12/2022 12:35 PMThe town of Essex will hold a public meeting on Thursday, April 14 to consider the adoption of a new town and schools budget for the 2022-’23 fiscal year. The proposed $26,042,584 budget a $389,069 or 1.52 percent increase in spending from the current year.
Overall town spending is proposed at $9,076,622, a $245,020 or 2.77 percent increase over current spending. The town budget includes $1,203,747 in debt services, a $49,916 or 3.98 percent reduction from the 2021-’22 adopted budget.
In the category of education, the $26,042,584 budget calls for a $144,049 or 0.86 percent increase in funding at from the current year. The Essex Board of Education (BOE) is seeking $8,144,643, a $283,236 or 3.6 percent increase from the current year, to operate Essex Elementary School. The Regional District #4 Board of Education proposal for Essex is $8,821,319 a $139,187 or 1.55 percent decrease in funding overall. The region 4 budget goes to referendum on Tuesday, May 3 ahead of the local municipal budgets.
On the town side, the general government category is seeking an additional $123,965 or 3.54 percent rise to $3,628,891 from the current year, with several boards and departments seeing increases. This includes a $206,336, or 8.92 percent, increase for the Department of Parks and Recreation, and a 8.59 percent increase of $265,876 for technology. The latter is the result of the Planning and Zoning/Land Use Department being in the process of digitizing its functions, which will allow for residents and contractors to apply for land permits online, according to Finance Director Tracey Celentano.
Areas of the general government part of the budget facing decreases include a $66,000, or 5.04 percent drop in funding for legal services, and a 41.28 percent decrease in funds for the Zoning Board of Appeals, down to $3,200 in funding from $5,450 in the current budget, although this is primarily due to a departmental change in structure and function, according to Celentano.
In the Public Safety category, none of its services are facing cuts. Emergency Management Services is porposed for flat funding at $19,700 this year; all other services for public safety will see increases in funding, including a 20 percent increase of $15,000 for animal control, and a $37,200, or 17.35 percent increase, for the Ambulance Association and EMT Services. Animal control is changing its structure and is adding a new assistant animal control officer, which are the reason for the increase in funds, according to Celentano. The town Police Department will see an increase in funding of $497,277, up 12.65 percent from the current year, due to the hiring of a new patrol member.
Health and human services are seeking an expected increase in funding of $639,301 from the current year, a total of a 5.4 percent increase. Areas in this category receiving funding include the town’s Health Department, which is seeking $188,040, a $27,983 or 17.48 percent increase in funding from the current year.
Other categories receiving increases in funding include the selectmen’s budget, with a 2.77 percent increase, and a 2.5 percent increase for library services, while debt services face a decrease from the current year of 3.98 percent, while capital and sinking funds are also expected to be cut by 0.45 percent.
The town will hold a public hearing open to the public on the budget on Thursday, April 14, in the auditorium of Town Hall at 7:30 p.m. The final meeting for the final approval of the budget will be held on May 9.