After a public hearing held on May 18, the Board of Finance voted on the FY2022-23 Hampton Elementary School and Town Government budgets, the final step prior to approval of the proposals by the taxpayers. Each budget was subjected to only one change.
The finance board reduced the elementary school’s $2,049,382 proposal, a 1.54% increase over the current year, by $10,000 removed from the Heating Oil/Propane line item, which was increased nearly $20,000, or 81.32%, due to current rates. Because of the uncertainty of future fuel costs, the finance board voted to transfer the $10,000 to the municipal contingency fund where it will be accessible to the school if necessary.
The only item changed in the Selectmen’s proposal for the municipal budget involved the compensation of Town employees. While the Selectmen requested a $5000 increase for the Town Treasurer and a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for all other employees, the Board of Finance voted to award a 4% cost-of-living increase to all town employees due to the current rate of inflation. Board of Finance Chairman Kathy Donahue suggested, in the interest of fairness, the establishment of a bi-partisan committee to conduct a bi-annual review of all Town employees’ salaries, including benefits packages, prior to municipal elections.
The $2,039,382 elementary school budget, and the municipal budget of $1,720,505, 2.43% less than this year’s, will be sent to Town Meeting on June 16th and voted on at a June 28th referendum. With the Regional District #11 spending plan of $$1,560,701, approved by taxpayers on May 3rd, the bottom line for the FY2022-23 budget will be $5,320,588. If approved, the mil rate will be set at 22.49, a 1.28 decrease from the current year.
Voters will also be asked to approve up to $100,000 in American Recovery Funds for the purchase of a mid-duty service truck for the Highway Department, and the transfer of $250,000 from the unassigned General Fund to the Hampton Fire Company’s Length of Service Award Program. As previously reported, insufficient funding of the program since its inception resulted in a funded ratio of approximately 12% of the accrued liability; if the transfer is approved, the program will be funded at an approximate rate of 75%. Additionally, the annual funding for the program has been adjusted from $25,000 to $50,000.
Appreciation to all boards, committees, commissions, organizations for developing modest spending plans in these financially difficult times. In all probability, our mill rate will be the only decrease we witness for a while. Thank you.