Over the course of several meetings, the Board of Finance, in consultation with the First Selectman, conducted a line by line review of the Town Government budget, which includes requests from all town offices, organizations, facilities and services. A proposal will be presented to residents at a June 5 Public Hearing, after which the board will adopt both the Municipal and Hampton Elementary School budgets to be discussed at a Town Meeting on June 20 and voted on by taxpayers at a June 27 referendum.
As of press time, the Town Government’s proposed budget is $1,998,859, a $109,318, or 5.79%, increase over the current year. The Finance Board is still considering the line item for legal counsel, currently proposed for $20,000, as the town has been embroiled in litigation with Huntington National Bank over the collection of taxes from the Solar Park. The revenue line also remains uncertain as the Legislative Session doesn’t end until June 4.
Many of the increases to the budget are fixed costs. The most significant is the line item for the KB Ambulance Service, increasing from $90,000 to $132,500 per the contract, which has been negotiated at 5% for the next two years. American Rescue Plan Act funds have been supplementing this cost for the last few years. The assessments were also revisited this year, with Pomfret paying half of the contract and Eastford assessed at $100,000, matching the bid from a competing ambulance provider to prevent Eastford from joining with another town, which would have cost Hampton and Pomfret considerably more. The Tax Collector’s contract has also increased by $5,000.
New mandated State systems have resulted in an increase of $6,819 to the Assessor’s budget for upgrades to computers and programs, and in an increase of $12,000 to the Town Clerk’s budget for upgrades to computers and programs to implement the State’s new Land Records system. State mandates have also increased other line items, with $2,500 to cover the cost of the Plan of Conservation and Development, and $$8,379 for Early Voting. Line items for fuel and electricity and fees for the Transfer Station have also been increased to reflect actual costs, as have the assessed fees for participation in local services such as the Northeast District Department of Health and the Thames Valley Council for Community Action.
Line item deliberations have also led to reductions in the budget. The Conservation Commission’s request of $26,350 was reduced to $11,699, the FY2023-24 actual expense, by eliminating the cost of legal fees to research unimproved town roads, and the cost of improving a right of way access to the Cohantic Cliffs, town owned property with historical significance. The plan, which would require Department of Transportation approval , was rejected due to safety and liability concerns. The Cliffs are located off Route 97.
The review also resulted in some reductions to departments when compared to actual expenditures for the last few years. The clerical costs for the Board of Finance and the Inland and Wetlands Agency, and the Building Inspector’s mileage line, were reduced due to actual costs. The First Selectman relinquished his raise this year due to the increases in all three budgets. All other town employees are receiving the 2.5% Cost of Living Adjustment.
Residents are encouraged to attend the June 5 Public Hearing, which will be held at Town Hall starting at 7:30, to provide input prior to the finalization of the budgets.
Allan Cahill, First Selectman