Town of Shaftsbury
Selectboard Proposed FY ’07 – ’08
Budget Notes
GENERAL GOVERNMENT
Note: As of January 1st, 2007, the State’s minimum wage changed from $7.25 to $7.53.This change will affect the Town’s employees and officials who are paid minimum wage.
Travel and Meetings: This budget proposes raising the mileage reimbursement rate from the current 30 cents per mile to the IRS mileage allowance of 44.5 cents per mile. Town officials are reimbursed for mileage when using personal vehicles for Town business.
Auditors: The increase is due to higher printing costs.
Board of Civil Authority: Reduction is because two elections are scheduled in fiscal year ‘07/’08: the Presidential Primary and Town Meeting. (Three elections were held in FY ‘06/‘07)
Cole Hall (Town Offices): No change.
Delinquent Tax Collector: Increase is the result of this year’s purchase of postage paid envelopes which is done every other year.
Listers (Assessor): Increase due to mileage reimbursement and minimum wage changes. Note that the Reappraisal Reserve Fund $$ is included here.
Planning/ Development Review Board: The establishment of a Development Review Board (DRB) in place of the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) has resulted in a decrease in the Planning Commission budget and an increase in the DRB budget.
Selectboard: This budget includes a 5% increase for the Town Administrator’s salary (allocated based on a performance evaluation), an increase in postage rate and DRB mailings, as well as the addition of a Howard Park appreciation luncheon, in addition to the holiday luncheon and other staff incentive programs during the year.
Note:
The Selectboard has merged the Computer Needs account with the Computer & copier supplies/ maintenance account and changed the name to Office Equipment. There is no increase in the combined account.
Town Clerk: An increase in the Professional Service account of $200 to $500 is recommended to pay for the cost of a replacement during any unplanned absence of the Town Clerk.
Town Treasurer: No change.
Employee Benefits: The unemployment insurance rate has increased due to both the Town’s and the Trust’s loss history. Health Insurance has increased. The amount plan participants contribute will also increase from 5% to 10% of the full cost of the health plan.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Animal Control: The increase in salary and wages brings the animal control officer compensation into parity with compensation paid by other municipalities in the region.
Emergency Management: Decrease in budget.
Fire Department: Increased fuel costs and the addition of Engine 64 Lease Payment #2 (of 7) are the reasons for the increase. Note that lease payments are added to the regular budget rather than left as a reserve fund to reflect the changed nature of the obligation of a lease rather than purchase outright.
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Law Enforcement: The cost of the Sheriff Department has increased significantly due to the loss of federal funds that have covered half this cost over the last three years. This line item increase, nonetheless, reflects a decrease in service from 15 to 10 hours per week.
PUBLIC WORKS
Note: This budget reflects the following highway improvement projects as well as general road maintenance:
This budget reflects the merging of the Plows & Sanders account with the Machinery and Equipment account. The line-item Capital Improvement Projects was not funded as money toward highway improvement projects was included in paving, guardrails, and bridges and culverts.
Highway Administration: Salaries and wages include the hourly pay for all highway department employees including vacation, sick, and holiday pay. The Selectboard is proposing a 5% increase for wages of which, 3% is a cost of living increase and 2% is a merit increase granted based on annual performance reviews.
Highway Construction and Maintenance: Gravel, Salt and Chloride increases are based on rising costs. The Town is now using a new type of gravel that is fractured and which holds the road together better.
Subcontractor costs include the contracting of roadside mowing (which lowers maintenance costs on our equipment) and the renting of an additional grader during the spring and fall seasons.
Highway Equipment Maintenance: Equipment maintenance is budgeted based on the age and condition of each piece of equipment. The increase is due primarily to gas, diesel & oil costs.
Lease payment #2 (of 5) on Truck #5 is moved from the Equipment Reserve Fund to reflect the lease obligation rather than a purchase.
Highway Garage: The decrease in the building improvements line is the result of moving the capital improvements to a new Town Highway Garage Reserve Fund.
Landfill/ Recycling Center: The Selectboard has decided to decrease the transfer station operations from three days per week to two days per week. This reduces the anticipated costs for Salary and Wages and the TAM Management Fee by approximately $6,000.
Subcontract costs includes twice yearly tub grinding ($2,000/each) of brush, as required by our state certification. It also includes mowing of the landfill cap (required) and surrounding transfer station property.
Professional services represents the cost of the semi-annual groundwater monitoring, as required by the State.
Landfill capping debt service is a new line item which represents payment #1 of 5 on the $150,000 loan for additional landfill capping funds approved by voters in July 2006.
The Town renewed the contract with TAM to operate the Landfill and Recycling Center last summer. Although TAM was the lowest bidder, the new contract included a substantial increase in the TAM management fee.
Solid Waste Removal costs are offset by revenues from the Pay-As-You-Throw system.
Park and Cemetery: These headings are new this year due to the increased cost of maintenance of the parks and cemeteries. The interest from the Trustee of Public Fund monies does not fully cover the operating costs of these facilities.
BALLOT ARTICLES
Appropriations have been placed on the ballot as requested by the various non-profit organizations this year. Two new organizations are requesting funding by the Town: Habitat for Humanity and Taconic Community Grange.
Reserve Funds
Highway Equipment Reserve Fund: The Town is moving toward the lease rather than outright purchase of equipment. Lease payment obligations are now shown in the Town’s operating budget rather than as Reserve Fund requests.
Grader Reserve Fund is used for the repair, maintenance, and eventual replacement of the grader.
Fire Equipment Reserve Fund: Lease payment obligations are now shown in the Town’s operating budget rather than as Reserve Fund requests.
Cole Hall Reserve Fund. This year’s allocation is going towards the repair or replacement of the roof. Grant funding will also be sought, in which case this fund would leverage additional money.
Town Garage Reserve Fund. This new reserve fund is for the repair and the eventual replacement of the Town Highway Garage. This years’ allocation is going towards the replacement of the roof.
Landfill Reserve Fund. As the landfill is now capped, this reserve fund is no longer necessary. The cost of debt service on the 5 year loan approved by voters is in the operating budget as are the ongoing costs of monitoring and maintenance.
Sidewalk Reserve Fund. Money allocated to this fund will be set aside for the development of new sidewalks and the rehabilitation of exiting sidewalks in the Town. As in the past, grant funding will be sought to supplement this fund.
Paving Reserve Fund. We will be applying for State and Federal paving grants to help pay for long term paving projects. Since these grants normally require that the Town pay a percentage of the costs, we must have funds set aside in the Paving Reserve Fund if we are to take advantage these grants.
Economic Development: This money will allow the Economic Development Committee to fund studies of ways to improve the quality of life, increase the Town’s tax base, and develop new and existing businesses in Shaftsbury. Money allocated this year will go towards the following projects: 1) South Shaftsbury Village Center designation, 2) Howard Park to Lake Paran Trail development, 3) further study and evaluation of sewer needs in Town, and 4) a Welcome to Shaftsbury Marketing/ Informational brochure and map.
OUTSIDE REVENUES
Employee Health Care Cost-Sharing reflects the 10% that all employees and public officials on the health insurance plan will contribute toward the cost of their plan. This amount represents an increase from the 5% contributed this year.