Budget committee members finalized warrant articles for Epsom’s town and school district Thursday night, breezing through a public hearing with brief discussion in an hour.
The school’s proposed budget is $10,900,834, a 4.2 percent increase over this year’s budget. The default budget is $10,892,249.
Budget committee member Virginia Drew pointed out there is only about an $8,000 difference between the default and proposed budgets.
“I congratulate (Epsom Central School principal) Patrick (Connors) for his leadership and the teachers. … It’s very sad that they have to work so hard to keep it level, and without actually having initiatives. And we appreciate the efforts,” she said.
The proposed budget would result in a tax rate of $18.79 per $1,000 of assessed property value, according to estimates. That’s a $1.22 increase over this year.
Voters will also get to decide on a three-year contract for teachers at the school, for an added tax impact next year of $0.21, and a two-year deal for support staff, for an extra $0.06 on the tax rate. In its last article, the school board also hopes to squirrel away $40,000 in a special education fund out of the unassigned fund balance.
The town’s proposed budget is $3,348,254, and, if passed, would be estimated to result in a $0.55 decrease in the tax rate. The default budget of $3,3312,186 would result in a $0.64 decrease.
Town leaders also hope voters will back a proposal to put $150,000 toward maintenance and repair of town-owned land and buildings, with $100,000 coming out of the unassigned fund balance and $50,000 to be raised in taxes. The warrant article is written to include all town-owned structures, but leaders have a place in mind already: the Epsom Bible Church.
The 19th-century structure was gifted to the town, but residents and town officials haven’t been able to agree on what to use the building for. Proposals to renovate it and house the town offices there have been voted down several times by taxpayers.
“We’ve already got a structure that’s in a great area. And so I’m hoping – I get the feeling it will never be town offices – but it could be a community center. It could be something,” Drew said.
The warrant article isn’t tied to a particular plan for building – just a way to start saving for its eventual use.
“We have to have a vision beyond where we are for this month,” said Selectman Hugh Curley.
The select board also hopes voters will approve the establishment of a capital fund to start saving for a permanent town office, with an initial appropriation of $50,000 out of the unassigned fund balance.
Warrant articles that would impact the tax rate include a $150,000 appropriation to a capital reserve fund earmarked for road maintenance, a $10,000 appropriation for a highway department vehicles fund, $15,000 for a bridge repair capital fund, and $4,000 toward milfoil control on Northwood Lake.
The town also proposes appropriating $15,500 toward a new boiler at the fire station, using $11,000 from a dedicated reserve fund. Totaled together, warrant articles with an impact on taxes add up to $0.54 on the tax rate.
Town warrant articles also include proposals for a $10,000 appropriation from the unassigned fund balance to create a contingency fund for the year and $1,600 from the unassigned fund balance to a cemetery maintenance fund. Both would have no tax impact.
One warrant article will tweak how the town can use money saved in a police detail fund to include fuel, maintenance and purchase of police vehicles. Another will allow the town to list tax-deeded properties with a real estate agent.
The school district’s deliberative session, when residents can discuss and amend warrant articles and the budget, will take place at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Epsom Central School. The town’s deliberative session will take place at 9 a.m. Feb. 4, also at the school. The second session will take place March 14, with voting between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., also at the school.
(Lola Duffort can be reached at 369-3321 or lduffort@cmonitor.com.)