During Saturday’s town meeting, Webster residents will vote on a slightly larger operating budget and a new police cruiser.
Town Meeting will begin at Grange Hall on March 12 at 10 a.m.
Webster’s proposed operating budget for 2022 is $1,637,400, an increase of 1% from last year’s operating budget of $1,624,830. With all proposed warrant articles, the total budget to be raised by taxes would equal $2,237,900.
The 2022 estimated town tax rate will be $6.15 if all warrant articles are approved, Town Administrator Dana Hadley said. That represents an increase of about 2.4%, or an extra $45 a year for a $300,000 home.
Under the proposed budget, some town employees will see pay increases, including the deputy town clerk, election workers, a custodian and members of the police department. The chief of police will receive a 15.5% raise, while wages for full-time police officers will go up 8.6%. The town is boosting police officer pay to stay competitive, according to the 2021 town report.
On top of the operating budget, Webster will vote on appropriating $364,500 in capital reserve funds and $226,000 in trust funds.
Town residents will also vote on purchasing a new police cruiser for $37,000.That allocation would be offset by a withdrawal from the capital reserve fund designated for that purpose.
Another warrant article proposes appropriating $15,954 to a contingency fund, money that will revert back to the general fund if left unused at the end of the year.
The Webster Historical Society also put forth a warrant article by petition for $5,000 for the restoration and painting of the Old Meeting House on 1220 Battle Street, a structure built in 1791 that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
On Tuesday, Webster voters chose a select board member, moderator, supervisor of the checklist, treasurer, library trustee, cemetery trustee and trustee of trust funds. All candidates are running unopposed, including current select board member Normandie Blake and current town moderator Mike Jette.
Michele L. Tremblay, who replaced former treasurer Bruce Johnson when he resigned after being fined $1,200 for a no-bid land purchase while he was a public official, is running for treasurer. Tremblay was previously the town’s deputy treasurer.
Along with selecting town officers, voters on Tuesday considered an ordinance proposed by the Planning Board that would create two districts with buffers to protect wetlands and watersheds. The article was defeated with 187 opposed and 96 for the amendment. The buffers are strips of vegetation where land uses are restricted, covering either 100 feet or 50 feet from the water source depending on the district. According to the ordinance, buffers would help ensure that water was free from pollutants, reduce the impact of flooding, and protect natural habitats.