WILTON — Selectmen and the Finance Committee met last week to review the proposed budget for the coming year and recommended several cuts, although amounts suggested by the two groups didn’t always match.
The budget, as proposed for the year starting July 1, 2020, was $3.52 million. It was an increase of $190,264 or 5.07% higher than the current budget.
When all departments had been reviewed, the Selectmen recommended a budget that was $121,736 lower yielding a 2.01% increase.
Included in the initial budget were amounts for several recreational or social service agencies that weren’t funded or funded at lower amounts last year.
Life Flight again requested $1,029. Last year $250 was approved. This year the full amount was recommended by both Selectmen and the Finance Committee.
Western Maine Transportation Services, which wasn’t funded last year, requested $3,399. Both groups recommend that amount.
Tuesday, May 5, Town Manager Rhonda Irish said, “The Select Board is a big proponent of the county funding them (WMTS). The county approved funding, but they didn’t get the money from the commissioners.”
Also requesting funding this year were Maine Public Broadcast Network, Community Concepts, Children’s Center, Seniors Plus and New Beginnings. Selectmen and the Finance Committee recommended the $500 requested by New Beginnings. The Finance Committee recommended $3,000 as asked for by Seniors Plus while the Selectmen recommended no funding.
The Board also recommended using more TIF moneys towards the debt service payment for the Fire Department’s ladder truck. The seventh of 11 payments is due. It had been proposed that $10,000 of the $54,441 payment be taken from TIF. The Finance Committee recommeded taking $20,000 from TIF while Selectmen recommended the full amount come from TIF.
The two groups also recommended the full $30,000 for the Waste Water Treatment payment come from TIF rather than the $15,000 proposed. They also agreed that money for the Wilson Lake Dam project come from undesignated funds.
Irish said the Selectmen also tried to go with contractual agreements only when reviewing specific department budgets. They removed $11,180 from the Fire Department’s proposed budget of $197,038. The Finance Committee recommended cutting $5,500.
“Chief (Sonny Dunham) used equipment he wasn’t planning on,” she said. “He had to purchase equipment he wasn’t planning on buying.”
Irish said $4,000 was removed from the Public Safety Building Capital Improvement Account.
“Nothing is being done this year towards the parking lot, the roof on the second half of the building,” she said. “We’re holding it out as long as we can.
“We did the same throughout the budget. If we didn’t need it, if expenses weren’t s much, we’re not adding on.”
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