ATHOL — With new Chairman Stephen Raymond at the helm, the Selectboard has launched into an agenda that includes a brief perusal of the Fiscal Year 2019 budget.
As is practice, the board reorganizes during the first meeting following the annual town election. That happened earlier this week.
Selectwoman Rebecca Bialecki nominated William Caldwell as chairman, who murmured he wished someone else would be nominated. There was no second to the motion, and Caldwell quickly nominated Raymond, who was seated by a vote of 4-1. Bialecki cast the opposing vote. Caldwell was unanimously voted in as vice chairman.
In a joint meeting with the selectmen and Capital Planning Committee members, Finance and Warrant Advisory Chairman Kenneth Duffy, who that evening received the budget proposal from Town Manager Shaun Suhoski, said the Finance Committee will look into the budget next week and, “if we are looking for clarification, we will begin with the department heads early in the process.”
Suhoski presented a FY19 budget proposal of $19.14 million. He said this is his fourth budget proposal. He noted in FY2016 the town built a budget based on fiscal restraint; the FY17 budget was built on making responsible decisions; and the FY18 budget restored key services, bolstered the town’s reserves for the future and provided a measure of tax rate relief.
He said the FY19 budget proposal demonstrates resolve in the face of many competing demands for increased resources.
Suhoski noted that while the dollars from state aid is less than the level in 2008, the town is at a good starting point, and “the budget will allow us to cover the most challenging areas — central dispatch (it provides continued funding for a fifth full-time dispatcher added in FY18 as a result of consolidating police, fire and EMS dispatch functions at the police department), restores the command structure funding allowing for three sergeants and one lieutenant in the police department, and increases funding to Athol-Royalston Regional School District and (Montachusett Regional Technical Vocational School).”
The budget also funds a reclassified assistant superintendent of public works to improve day-to-day operational management and provide potential planning.
He said the budget allows for improved operations in the Public Works Department and covers higher retirement, health insurance and veterans’ benefits costs. Those areas alone account for 92.4 percent of the $762,000 increase in the operational spending over FY18.
He said the budget reflects $285,000 in new growth, attributed to the new businesses — such as Market Basket, Hobby Lobby, 110 Grill — at the North Quabbin Commons business park.
“The figure is real and sustainable and helped us close this budget,” he said.
He said the budget is decreased by 0.85 percent from last year due to the payoff of debt associated with the library expansion.