ROCKPORT — Selectmen have pegged the town’s overall budget for fiscal year 2023, which begins this July 1, at $38,524,757.
Town Administrator Mitch Vieira outlined the selectmen’s recommended budget at selectmen’s meeting Tuesday. The budget is not final; state aid funds for for fiscal 2023 are still being determined and the town is still waiting to see how many health insurance renewals it will receive. The budget may change before the Finance Committee presents its recommendations sometime before Town Meeting this spring.
Almost half the town’s budget will go to the Rockport public schools.
Thanks to a Proposition 2 1/2 override granted at Town Meeting last summer that built up the Rockport Public Schools’ base budget, the schools’ budget for fiscal 2023 is estimated to be at $15,456,265, a 3% increase from this fiscal year, which ends June 30. As the increase is less than 5%, the town is obligated to pay for 2.3% of the schools’ total budget, or $306,049. It won’t be giving the full $306,049, however, as the schools’ health insurance costs are expected to rise.
Although teachers will receive a 2.5% salary increase per their latest union contract, Superintendent Rob Liebow said the main driver for the budget increase is special education tuition and transportation costs. They are up $447,103 this year, accounting for 99% of the schools’ total budget increase from last year.
The Department of Public Works will see an 8.76% increase to its budget from this fiscal year, now totaling $2,696,719, after new Director Gary LeBlanc readjusted and updated it to better reflect the department’s needs. The library will also see $18,205 more this year to cover the contractual costs of new books, programs and services.
For capital expenditures, the town expects to use $1,239,316 of its $2,229,866 free cash fund to pay for 13 projects. Some include $420,000 to replace the Fire Department’s self-contained breathing apparatuses and turn-out equipment, $328,000 for new Public Works vehicles and $175,000 for the Information Technology Department’s annual capital investment plan. Other free cash will be used for master roadway improvements, the schools’ special education stabilization funds and the town’s COVID-19 response efforts.
On top of that spending, the Capital Improvement Committee has recommended the town borrow $450,000 from the general fund to pay for door and window replacements at Town Hall and its annex, and at the central Fire Department station and Ambulance Department.
The Information Technology and Technologies Departments may see a $155,013 increase from this fiscal year to pay for a part-time support specialist to assist with help desk calls and new software requested by the library, schools and general government. An overhaul of the town’s website is also planned, according to Vieira, which will better catalog town meeting minutes and agendas.
The Police Department is requesting a $148,396 increase from this fiscal year’s budget, totaling $2,419,588. Part of the money will be used for training purposes as last year Gov. Charlie Baker signed a police reform act that requires full-time recruit training for all reserve officers. The rest of the money will be used to hire a full-time civilian dispatcher and cover contract obligations.
Selectmen are seeking a $40,676 increase to their budget, totaling $493,288. The additional money will be used in part to create a position for a full-time grants and special project manager. For the past year, the town has had trouble acquiring grant writers on a contractual basis, and Vieira said he hopes a full-time position will help make the job more enticing to applicants. Other money will be used to pay meeting support clerks for the town’s boards and committees.
Michael Cronin may be contacted at 978-675-2708, or mcronin@gloucestertimes.com.
