News
Friday, February 15, 2013
Town councilors approved a proposed budget of about $23.5 million, a hair above the first draft proposed by town officials at the start of the budgeting season.
The proposed budget has a general fund appropriation of $23,532,752, which would mean a $5.25 increase per $1,000 of assessed property value. That, of course, doesn?t include any warrant articles passed by voters at Town Meeting in April.
Finance director Paul Micali said the proposed budget is $2,000 more than what Town Manager Eileen Cabanel originally presented to the council. He said the ambulance capital reserve fund, which was established in 1982, needs a $12,000 contribution each year to stay on schedule. That money was added by the council when the budget was increased by $2,000, and $10,000 from money set aside for the town?s Fourth of July celebration was siphoned into the reserve account.
Council Chairman Tom Mahon said the Rotary Club asked the council last year to set aside $10,000 in case it needed to pay for the midway. The club was able to raise enough money without needing the town?s help, he said.
When Cabanel first presented her plan, she highlighted four budget challenges for fiscal 2014, including increases in health insurance, retirement, workers compensation and property liability, totaling $869,948. Those larger costs break down with an increase of $470,155 for health insurance and a jump in retirement costs by $361,235. Workers compensation will add $22,838 and property liability will increase by $15,720.
The total possible tax rate for the town is yet to be set because the town is still in contract negotiations with two unions. The Town Council recently accepted two contracts, one for the police officers union and the Teamsters union, which represents public works supervisors and secretaries.
According to Mahon, some of the major sticking points for the contracts included a first-year raise of $1,500 and by the third year, 10 percent of health care contributions being covered by union members. For the third year, there will be higher co-pays implemented.
Mahon said the council declared an impasse with AFSCME 93 Local 2986 union, which represents public works employees, laborers and machine operators. The issue will now head to mediation.
Two more contracts are outstanding and the unions had until Feb. 12 to ratify an agreement, Mahon said.
The Council was scheduled to hold a final public hearing Feb. 14 to discuss the 2013-14 proposed operating budget, collective bargaining agreements, proposed issuance of debt and petitioned bonds, citizen-petitioned warrant articles, and a review of a default budget in case the proposed budget is not approved by voters.
Erin Place can be reached at 594-6589 or eplace@nashuatelegraph.com. Also, follow Place on Twitter (@Telegraph_ ErinP).
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