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04/19/2018 12:01 AMNext Monday, April 23, the Killingworth Board of Finance will hold a hearing on the town budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-’19. No vote is taken at this meeting; it’s a chance to ask questions, make comments, and discuss options.
The budget that the Board of Finance will present is the result of a process that began at the end of 2017, when town departments and agencies that receive town funding submitted budget requests.
The Board of Selectmen then spent several weeks turning over every cushion on the sofa, unscrewing lightbulbs, and serving franks-and-beans in an effort to tighten the town operating budget. We also took stock of the failing water heater and the cracks in the driveway—in other words, the capital needs of the town. At the beginning of March, we submitted to the Board of Finance two proposed budgets, an operating budget and a capital budget.
The operating budget we proposed for FY 2018-’19 is 0.9 percent lower than this year’s. The savings come from various efficiencies found throughout our operations.
There is one significant increase in the operating budget. After years of staff reductions in the Assessor’s Office and the Building Department, we have proposed an increase in support staff levels in those departments to improve service. The increase amounts to one full-time-equivalent clerical staff position.
The Board of Selectmen proposed a capital budget totaling just more than $2 million for FY 2018-’19. The largest single items in this budget are communications equipment for the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company and paving of lower Roast Meat Hill Road. The capital budget also includes other paving and road maintenance projects and upgrades to town facilities including parks, Parmelee Farm, and the library. These expenditures represent a long-term investment in the town’s infrastructure.
The cost of these projects will be covered by funds currently in reserves, grants, and state funding as well as new tax revenue. Note that capital costs flow through the operating budget and do not represent an additional expenditure beyond the operating budget.
The Board of Finance reviews the selectmen’s budget in light of expected revenue to the town and determines what we can afford. The board prepares a “final preliminary” budget, modifying the selectmen’s proposals as necessary. That is what will be presented on April 23; you can find it online at townofkillingworth.com and in the Town Clerk’s Office.
Among the factors the Board of Finance considers are the Grand List, which grew slightly—0.6 percent—this year and expected reductions in state funding of as much as $500,000.
Remember that the town operating budget takes up less than a quarter of our property taxes. The remainder goes to the school budget, which will be voted on at referendum on Tuesday, May 8.
The Monday, April 23 budget hearing will take place at 8 p.m. at Killingworth Elementary School.