Politics & Government
Town Manager Proposes 2.8% Budget Increase
Nearly 1 percent of the proposed increase can be attributed to a loss of revenue, Souza said Monday night.
Town Manager Peter Souza presented a budget proposal to the Town Council Monday, proposing a 2.8 percent overall increase and a hike in taxes that will be "less than 4 percent for most residents."
74 percent of residents will see an increase that is less than 4 percent, said Souza, adding that the majority of the 74 percent will see a tax hike between 2.5 and 3.5 percent.
Much of the overall budget increase (.82 percent) proposed for fiscal year 2012-13 can be attributed to a loss of town revenue, particularly in the areas of licenses and permits, which account for a loss of nearly $300,000.
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Another .8 percent of the overall increase can be attributed to Board of Education expenditures, and 1.2 percent represents general operating expenditures in town, including social services, public works and public safety.
Souza said the budget allows the town to plan for the future while maintaing services provided to residents.
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He highlighted the fact that funds provided to the Board of Education, which account for $63 million of the town's proposed $99 million budget, will enable to implementation of full-day kindergarten in the fall.
The mill rate used to calculate residents' taxes has been reduced from 28.03 to 27.95.
A budget referendum has been tentatively scheduled for May 15.
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