RANGELEY — Voters narrowly approved covering all Police Department overdrafts for the current fiscal year during a special town meeting Tuesday. The vote was 115-98.
It is anticipated that the department budget will have a $95,000 overdraft by June 30. Money will be taken from the unassigned fund balance.
During a March 17 public hearing, Town Manager Joe Roach said the components of the overdraft are contract differences from year to year equaling $54,000. The rest is attributed to overtime, he said.
“Last fall we had a full-time chief and no officers. Chief (Richard Caton IV]) helped us recruit a crew of officers. The result of that, long story short, will end up in an almost $95,000 overdraft at the end of the year,” he said.
Taxes will not be affected because the money has already been raised, he added.
“The town does not need to raise any money for the anticipated Police Department overdraft,” Roach said. “It already has the money in unassigned fund balance.”
Marc Roy, the town’s consulting certified public accountant, said Monday that the General Fund’s unassigned fund balance is projected to end the fiscal year somewhere between $5.2 million and $5.7 million.
The anticipated overage has been factored into the projected balance.
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