SABATTUS — The Board of Selectmen approved 40 warrant articles for fiscal year 2016-2017 to be presented at town meeting on Thursday, May 19.

The board’s proposed budget $2.55M offers a $5,085 decrease in the town’s operating budget and a $40,000 increase in the capital budget, compared to the current budget. The effect this will have on the mill rate has yet to be determined.

A majority of the board and several members of the Budget Committee were present at the meeting and were in agreement with most of the budget items except for the following:

• The board approved $143,000 to fund the Fire Department; the Budget Committee approved a lower amount of $142,376, a difference of $624. Part of this fund would be used to increase the fire chief’s salary.

• The board approved $14,500 to fund the Emergency First Responder Program; the Budget Committee did not include any funding for this department.

• The board approved $470,000 to fund the Public Works Department; the Budget Committee’s approved $480,113. The board presented a lower amount due to the allotted cost of fuel for town vehicles, which has been consistently under budget for the past few years.

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Both entities were in agreement on the following future capital equipment purchases:

• Fire Department vehicles, $50,000; 

• a new Public Works truck, $20,000; 

• a replacement roll-off container truck, $20,000; 

• a police cruiser, $15,000; and 

• a thermal imaging camera for the Fire Department, $6,000 to be combined with an existing $6,000 in the Fire Department capital account.

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The Budget Committee proposed a new article to establish a fund for estimated expenses for stormwater management projects. This article, if passed, will create an account but no set dollar amount will be determined for fiscal year 2016-17.

A new article to fund up to $5,000 worth of construction materials for a town gazebo was approved.

According to Norm LaPlante, project coordinator, estimated cost for materials is $10,500. If passed, any other funding for the building will be made up of private donations.

The next board meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall.

Regional School Unit 4 Superintendent Jim Hodgkin will be present to discuss the anticipated decrease in state revenue sharing and the effects this might have on the fiscal year 2016-17 school budget.

In other business, road construction on Pleasant Hill Road has started and drivers are urged to find an alternate route or to expect delays.


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