Proposed $16M Budget Goes to May 23 Vote
Residents will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed $16 million spending package for the 2023-’24 fiscal year on May 23, following a May 9 budget presentation by the Board of Finance (BOF) and Board of Selectmen (BOS).
The proposed $16,094,606 budget represents a 4.99% increase from the current year’s budget, operating under $15,329,800 in town expenditures. The proposal for the town general government portion of the budget calls for a 7.35% increase, totaling $4,715,756 in spending.
Education spending for both Chester Elementary School and the town’s stake in Regional School District 4 account for 66% of the entire budget, with a total of $10,714,600.
Should voters approve the proposal, the new budget would go into effect on July 1.
Major Budget Drivers
The BOF laid out multiple drivers of the increased budget for next year, establishing a mission statement based on its current financial standing.
“Chester is financially stable, with a solid reserve fund and up-to-date maintenance and services. We are always looking for efficiencies and cost savings while prioritizing the health and safety of our residents,” according to a document circulated at the meeting.
According to the document, major budget drivers include “contractual obligations for general government employees.” The town negotiated a 4.25% increase for salaries, including for a new full-time assessor job, a position needed for that department, said Selectman Edmund Meehan.
“There’s a lot of catching up to do in that office. We have a new assessor who is very excited to be in Chester and learning as she works every day, finding all kinds of good things that we should have been doing over the years,” said Meehan.
Capital Budget
The proposed capital budget is $664,250 for the next year. This total is a 19.14% increase, or $106,735, above the current capital budget. The increase accounts for another major overall budget driver, as the town continues to “set aside funds for major purchases and maintenance of infrastructure,” according to the BOF.
The board identified six infrastructure projects under the capital budget to be resolved over the next decade. They include the “protection and maintenance of the watershed and natural resources,” “roads/sidewalks/dams/drainage/culvert maintenance and repair,” and the “maintenance of Town buildings, including major mechanical and roof replacements.” Vehicle replacements for public safety groups in fire, police, and public works were also identified.
Mill Rate Increase
The mill rate has a proposed increase from the current tax rate of 29.5 mills to 29.9, which represents a 1.36% increase.
On arriving at that increased figure, the BOF said, “The Board of Finance bases our estimated tax revenue on a collection rate of 98.75%.”
Looking Ahead
The BOF wrapped up its meeting, identifying the challenges ahead for Chester that the expenditures in the overall budget for next year would contribute towards resolving.
These include long-standing infrastructure projects, developing and protecting ecological assets, maintaining attractive education for new families in town, and working with the Economic Development Commission (EDC) to boost amenities for tourism. The latter involves the formation of an ad hoc committee to analyze and find solutions to that goal.
“EDC members have asked the Board of Selectmen to begin an ad hoc subcommittee… we’re talking about improvements to the Waterfront parking lot, electric vehicle charging stations, recycling areas - things that when people come to town and provide the amenities for them, public facilities make them feel welcome,” said Meehan.
One of the major projects in the future will be monitoring the progress of the newly formed Chester Charter Commission, whose goal will be to reexamine the current structure of the town government. A Governance Study Committee Report submitted to the BOS in February details the myriad components regarding whether structural changes to the town government would help the operationally for future challenges.
“The Board of Selectmen and working with the government study have indicated that it’s time to really take a comprehensive, deep dive into how our small town operates. We operate under state statutes and ordinances. Maybe a charter to codify and streamline our government can improve how we do our business,” said Meehan. “Other towns have been doing this; small towns are also doing this, so we can learn from them too.”
Following the presentation, the boards held another meeting to determine any changes in the budget based on received feedback on the proposed figures. Town electors will return to the meeting house on May 23 to vote on the proposed budget.
The town’s website, www.chesterct.org, has full budget details, including all proposed expenditures.