PETERSHAM — Community members gathered in the basement of Town Hall this week for a public information hearing on the town’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget of $4,184,660, which includes increase requests from both schools.
Town Moderator Bart Wendell, the Advisory Finance Committee and the Selectboard were in attendance.
“We like to think people will attend (the hearing) so they can have really in-depth questions and answers on a night like this, because Town Meeting is not always conducive for that kind of thing,” said chair of the Selectboard Nancy Allen.
Ross France, chairman of the Advisory Finance Committee, outlined for the public the major factors in next year’s budget.
“This budget is not the budget we are used to, in that the tax appropriation is about $360,000 more than it was last year,” he said.
Allen said the document is a draft budget along with draft articles. The finalized budget will be ready for the Annual Town Meeting on June 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Petersham Center School and Mahar Regional High School are each asking for increases in their Fiscal Year 2019 budgets from the town from the previous year.
Compared to last year, the Center School is looking for a 3.9 percent increase (an additional $57,000) from the town.
Some factors causing the increase include a $24,000 decrease in incoming school choice funds, and a $31,000 increase in outgoing school choice funds, France said. Roughly 19 percent of expenses in the Center School budget are for special education costs, about $368,000 for next year. Chapter 70 money for Petersham has increased, on average, France said, half of 1 percent over the past five years.
“We are not getting a lot of money from the state — certainly not keeping up with our costs,” he said.
The town’s appropriation for the proposed Mahar budget is also a big factor for the Fiscal Year 2019 budget.
Next year, Petersham has an additional student planning to attend Mahar, said France, with about 12 fewer students from Orange planning to attend.
“The effect of that is Petersham bears a greater percentage of the cost this year than it did last year,” said France.
The town is projected to see an increase of 3.5 percent, or $26,000, from last year’s budget for Mahar. The Mahar School Committee plans to vote on the budget Thursday, May 24.
France also said the health insurance budget is expected to increase by $27,000. The Petersham Police Department added two additional weekend shifts in its Fiscal Year 2019 budget. France said the coverage is expected to cost the town more than $16,000.
The Selectboard will meet with the Advisory Finance Committee on Tuesday to continue reviewing the warrant and budget for Fiscal Year 2019.