Hebron Dollars & Sense

Here is the JI coverage of the Thursday BOS meeting. It makes it sound as though the town gov't. is asking for a 1.16 percent increase. He seems to have missed the point that the initiatives cited have offset that 1.16 percent, and that town government has actually come in at 0 percent. Hopefully people won't read this and use it as an argument in favor of the BOE budgets.


HEBRON — Even with minimal increases to the government budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year, residents will see a tax increase of more than 4 percent, the interim town manager said Thursday.

“We reviewed each department budget, looking at what was needed to continue the important town services that they provide but also seeing if there were savings possible,” interim Town Manager Andrew Tierney said.

The result is a proposed total budget of $34.28 million, an increase of $1.12 million, or 3.38 percent, over the current year. Taxes would increase by 4.4 percent, with the mill rate increasing by 1.24 to 29.41. Property owners pay that amount for every $1,000 of assessed value in their property.

The proposal calls for general government spending to increase by 1.16 percent, with cuts to spending on open space, debt payments, and emergency savings funds.

The plan would lay off a part-time staff person in the resident state trooper’s office and has three new initiatives: a full-time park maintainer, a part-time senior center fitness instructor, and a large-format printer and copier for Town Hall.

Much of the increase in the overall budget stems from the town’s two school boards. The local school board is seeking a 3.99 percent increase, and a relative increase in students from Hebron at the regional middle and high schools means the town will be asked to pay a larger portion of the Region 8 budget.

State aid to the town is expected to increase by $12,000 and decrease to the schools by $13,000. Departmental and other revenue from fees is expected to decrease by $69,000 or about 1.4 percent. The town’s grand list, or the value of its taxable property, grew by 0.65 percent

Tierney suggested increasing the expected tax collection rate to 98.5 percent from 98 percent to keep the tax rate down. Tax collection was above 99 percent last year.

Tierney, who is also the public works director, presented his budget proposal to the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Board on Thursday. Incoming Town Manager Bonnie Therrien was on hand for the presentation.

The selectmen make a budget recommendation to the Finance Board, which then sets a bottom line that goes to taxpayers in a May referendum. There are separate budgets for Capital Improvement Projects or long-term spending plans, and for the regional schools.

The proposal calls for a general government budget of $8.83 million, an increase of $71,500, or about 1.16 percent.

Spending on salaries would increase by $110,000, or 5.5 percent. Salaries and benefits would make up about $3 million, or about 34 percent of the government budget.

The increase includes contracted raises of 3.25 percent for union employees. Nonunion employees would receive a 2 percent raise. The sharp increase accounts for savings during the current year, when employees agreed to five unpaid furlough days. There are no unpaid work days in the budget proposal.

The new initiatives are increasing the hours of a park employee, hiring a part-time fitness instructor at the senior center, and buying a new printer for the town planning department.

The additional park hours are needed to maintain Burnt Hill Park on East Street, which opened last summer. As for the fitness instructor, the $10,080 cost would be covered by a $7,000 grant and about $3,000 in fees for fitness classes.

And the printer, a large format plotter, would benefit the town clerk, the assessor, and the Building and Public Works Departments, Tierney said. It would cost $4,800 to buy, with a set-up fee of $1,200. The printer would save the town from contracting the work out, and could be a source of revenue if the town charges residents and businesses to use it.

The proposal calls for decreases to the town’s contributions to buying up open space, paying down debt, and saving for unexpected spending.

The plan allots $12.18 million for the Hebron Board of Education, about 35 percent of the total town budget. That’s the amount school board requested, an increase of 3.99 percent over this school year. The plan includes a controversial expansion to all-day kindergarten. Enrollment at the schools is expected to decrease by 31 students, or about 3 percent.

The town’s payment to the Regional School District 8 is expected to increase sharply because of additional students at the RHAM schools.

The schools serve students in grades 7 to 12 from Hebron, Andover, and Marlborough. Towns pay proportionately based on the number of students.

Hebron will have to pay 54 percent of the total RHAM budget in 2010-11, up from 52 percent this year. The regional school board is considering a spending plan of $24.4 million, a 2.09 percent increase. Hebron taxpayers would have to fund $13.2 million of that, up from $12.6 million this year.

Enrollment in the RHAM schools is expected to increase overall by 10 students, or about 0.6 percent.

Also included in the budget is the town’s Capital Improvement Projects fund, which pays for long-term projects. The proposal calls for $626,627, no increase over the current year.

Tierney warned that his budget proposal is thin. “There is little room for flux and no contingency for unexpected circumstances or emergencies,” he said in a memo.

Selectmen approved the budget proposal. They and the Finance Board had a set a townwide goal of no budget increases.