Town electors unanimously approved a $26.5 million budget for the 2023 -’24 fiscal year at the town’s annual budget meeting on May 8.

The total town budget, including its major components of the selectmen’s budget, the Essex Board of Education (BOE) for Essex Elementary School (EES), and its stake in the Region 4 School District Board of Education, equals $26,522,194 for the upcoming fiscal year. Monies for the two education bodies comprise about 69% of the proposed expenditures.

The budget will go into effect on July 1. The town will continue to operate under the current year’s budget until June 30.

The selectmen’s budget, which includes general government, public safety, and highway and transportation, stands at a proposed $9,324,964. This represents a 2.74% increase from the current fiscal year.

Highway and transportation services are increasing by 5.41%, with a budgeted $1,015,556. Its employees are all seeing wage increases of 2.75%.

Town technology spending is also seeing an increase of 16.1% for a total of $308,699 for the upcoming fiscal year. This increase aims to bolster the town’s cybersecurity strength and acquire adequate cyber insurance.

“Folks…they read in the news every day about cyber hacks and break-ins. Novice, who [provides] services for our technology, brought forth a plan to ensure that we’re safe from hacks and so forth,” said Tracey Celentano, the finance director for the BOF.

Public safety services will see an increase of 4.91%, with total budgeted expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year standing at $1,723,827. The biggest increase in those services is an additional $19,500 for the Essex Ambulance Association and EMT services.

In education, the BOE seeks a 2.87% increase in expenditures, totaling $8,378,172 for the upcoming fiscal year. According to Celentano, the BOE will have a 40.4% share in Regional School District 4's overall spending.

The current mill rate stands at 22.43. Celentano said the town expects to set a mill rate for the new fiscal year by May 18.