CHESHIRE, Mass. — Cheshire's proposed fiscal 2020 budget represents a 2.94 percent increase over this year.
The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday reviewed the $6,272,575 budget that is $179,119 more than fiscal 2019's $6,090,255 spending plan.
"It looks like a good budget," Chairwoman Carol Francesconi said.
Town Administrator Edmund St. John IV said the proposed budget is $36,000 under the levy limit and that he is trying to keep the tax increase at a minimum 50 cents. He said based on current numbers, the new tax rate would be $13.60 per $1,000 assessed value.
"We are in a revaluation year and these are very preliminary numbers but we wanted to keep this within about a 50 cent increase from last year," St. John said. "I was able to keep it at exactly 50 cents."
St. John pointed out a $30,000 decrease in the amount of free cash used to offset the tax rate. Historically the town has levied $170,000 against the tax rate but St. John changed this number to $140,000.
"We are looking to decrease our dependence on available free cash to offset the tax rate," he said. "This budget reduces the amount of free cash used."
Two other free cash expenditures include $13,000 to develop a technology improvement plan and $17,800 to fund the assessors reclassification certification. This leaves the town with $168,976 in free cash.
St. John said he asked departments to request things they may not typically ask for. He said he wanted to at least have an idea what the departments were looking for.
"I wanted to encourage the departments to basically come forward with budgets and encourage them to make requests that they may not normally make," he said. "The purpose behind this is to promote forward thinking rather than just maintaining what we have done in the past."
St. John noted there were some unanticipated savings in education that increased that line item just .28 percent. The Adams-Cheshire Regional School District budget came in with an increase of $50,106, or 1.79 percent. The Northern Berkshire Vocational School budget came in with a decrease of $40,792.
St. John said this gave the town more wiggle room to really tackle some of the department requests and larger town projects.
Much of the budget was flat funded with some departments only slightly decreasing or increasing.
The Police and Fire Department increase was just under $3,000. The Highway Department budget of $869,362 increased $21,270. St. John said this was mostly driven by wage step increases.
St. John said the Council on Aging budget of $46,803 increased 104.35 percent. This is a $23,900 increase to fund the addition of a program coordinator
"This represents a dramatic shift in how we approach serving our aging population," he said. "The goal of adding this position is to increase the offerings and communication available to residents who would like to avail themselves of this service."
St. John added there was also an effort to bolster budget items that are often underfunded so there would be less reserve fund transfers. Specifically, he pointed out the town buildings budget of $270,240 which increased 6.81 percent.
"Many of these increases represent actual expenditures on these items," he said. "Historically, we will make transfers throughout the year to cover for these, but I feel that this is not a sound practice moving forward."
St. John said the Selectmen's budget of $116,237 has increased 12.32 percent to accommodate the increased board to be voted on this May.
Also included in this budget was a $2,500 marketing initiative line item.
"It represents a new way of communicating and advocating for our town," St. John said. "Many communities spend significantly higher on this item with the purpose of attracting both new visitors and new residents, while keeping current residents informed of what the town has to offer them."
The Selectmen will now hold a meeting with the Finance Committee to review the budget and make final changes.
The town will hold public budget reviews May 23 and 30 at 7 p.m. These will be held at Cheshire Elementary School.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Cheshire Tag Sale and Bazaar
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Cheshire Community Association (CCA) announced the return of the Cheshire Community Tag Sale and Bazaar for its second year.
Scheduled for Saturday, May 11, 2024, from 9 AM to 1 PM, the event offers a day of treasure hunting, local craftsmanship, and treats at the Cheshire Community House located at 191 Church St, Cheshire.
Attendees can explore a variety of offerings, including handmade crafts, antiques, collectibles, and food options. The hot food truck, operated by the Berkshire Lodge of Masons AF & AM, will be stationed in the courtyard, serving up treats throughout the event.
One of the highlights of this year's event is the fundraising raffle, with all proceeds set to benefit the Cheshire Food Pantry. Participants can purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes, supporting a worthy cause that serves the local community.
Registration for vendors interested in participating in the bazaar is currently open, with fees ranging from $10 to $30. Cheshire residents looking to showcase their items from home can have their locations advertised on the event map for a fee of $10. The deadline for registration is set for Friday, April 26, 2024.
Registration forms can be obtained from various locations across Cheshire, including A to Z Printing, Cheshire Community House, Cheshire Library, Cheshire Glassworks, Cheshire Senior Center, the Cheshire Community Association Facebook page, and the Cheshire Town website.
For more information about the event, including vendor registration and sponsorship opportunities, interested parties are encouraged to contact Jenny Gadbois at (413) 841-0844 or via email at jlgadbois@icloud.com.
Taylor Garabedian scored a team-high 22 points and grabbed five rebounds, and Abby Scialabba scored 16 points for the ‘Canes, who got 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists from Ashlyn Lesure. click for more
On Saturday afternoon at Lowell’s Tsongas Center, the Hurricanes will take aim at Division 5 State Championships in girls and boys basketball. click for more
Pittsfield High's Matt Dupuis and Lee's Bella Kotek Sunday completed a Berkshire County sweep at the State Bowling Championships at Bowlero.
click for more
Emily Holian’s strike to open the 10th frame of the Wildcats’ second game against Worcester Tech all but assured Lee a team title at Bowlero Chicopee.
click for more
Hoosac struggled to get into rhythm on the offensive end until Joey McGovern got the 3-ball working. McGovern finished the game with 21 points including a triple in the fourth quarter that cemented him in the record books. It took him nearly the whole game but he was able to join the 1,000-point... click for more
Pittsfield High's Eliza Mullen won state title and in the giant slalom and slalom, winning the former discipline by 1.6 seconds and the latter by nearly 2.7 seconds.
click for more