FY2020 Manager's Proposed Budget
February 26, 2017
From: Bill Giroux
Re: Town Budget for FY2020
This letter accompanies the Manager’s Proposed Budget for FY2020 for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2019.
This budget recognizes the prior-year financial condition of the Town as reported in the latest audited financial statements. Those documents show a General Fund balance of $4,075,079 on June 30, 2018 which includes an Unassigned General Fund balance of $2,718,920 plus $62,468 Non-spendable, $111,696 in Restricted, $730,495 in Committed Reserves, and $451,500 Assigned for subsequent year’s expenditures which includes $450,000 for use of Fund Balance. For FY2020 we expect non-tax revenue to rise slightly over the previous year.
This budget proposes a total municipal spending of $10,043,394, a $330,927 increase over last year’s approved budget. The share of the expenditure committed to the property tax would be $3,830,104, an increase of $696,369 over last year’s budget. These numbers reflect the reality of rising costs due to growth and other reasons that need to be addressed to meet the service demands of our residents.
This budget would propose a COLA of 3% as recommended by the Personnel Committee. This adjustment addresses the annual increase in the Cost of Living and to keep Standish somewhat in line with other surrounding communities. The budget proposes a new full-time technology services employee to address the increasing reliance on technology in municipal government.
This budget also continues to stabilize Public Safety operations by replacing an equivalent amount of per diem hours with four full time employees. There is also a new seasonal position proposed to address a need at the Transfer Station. The budget would also increase the part-time maintenance position, shared between Parks and Rec and other Town facilities, to full time. These actions reflect the recommendations of the Council’s Committee on Personnel.
This budget also includes proposed capital spending approved by the Council’s Capital Committee. These include building a Sand and Salt Shed, replacing Rescue 2, repairs at Town Hall, replacing some of our Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus in Public Safety, repair and improve roads and to conduct a site feasibility study for a possible Community Center as recommended in the 2019 Needs Assessment and Planning Report.
The MSAD#6 School Assessment will be added to the document when it is received.
This budget proposal will receive a Public Hearing in March followed by Council and Budget Committee review actions. The final document will reflect the policy choices of the Council and Budget Committee and will be submitted to the voters at the annual Town Meeting in June.