BRATTLEBORO — After having met six times to completely work through all sections of the proposed fiscal year 2020 municipal budget, the Selectboard took some final steps before preparing to submit the document to Representative Town Meeting.
The good news: there's a chance that the Town Manager's staff will end up realizing its stated goal of raising property taxes no more than 3 cents per $100 of assessed value.
But it's close.
The current iteration of the proposed budget sees taxes going up by 2.7 percent in FY20, and that figure will depend on what happens at RTM.
“You don't have any explicit matters of unfinished business related to the FY20 proposed budget,” Town Manager Peter B. Elwell told the Board at its Dec. 18 meeting.
During the past few months, the Selectboard has made some changes to the document covering new programs, funds transfers, and support for local organizations and initiatives.
These changes include adding an enhanced rental-housing inspection program [“Brattleboro eyes new rules for rental properties,” News, Dec. 19]. The budget reflects additional overtime pay for housing inspectors and fire department members, who will help conduct the inspections.
Under that proposal, each residential rental unit in town will get inspected once every four years. Town officials expect this expense to be offset by fees they will collect from landlords.
The Selectboard approved an increase of $15,000 - for a total of $290,000 - in the transfer from the general fund to the solid waste fund to cover anticipated additional expenses. Elwell noted this transfer will “take a little pressure” off the tax rate: one-tenth of a cent.
Nonprofit support
At the request of Brattleboro Community Television in anticipation of a major loss of funding due to a proposed change in Federal Communication Commission rules, the Selectboard approved giving BCTV $5,000 in FY20.
The Downtown Brattleboro Alliance requested $2,000 more for its FY20 budget - bringing it to $80,000 - and the Selectboard members gave their assent. Selectboard Clerk Tim Wessel noted this increase will affect only property owners in the downtown district; owners of property elsewhere in town will see no change.
Board members subtracted $10,000 from the budget for Brattleboro Climate Protection. They created a separate question about continuing the program, and its funding, for RTM members to decide.
The Board created four other funding-related items to put on the RTM warning: a 1-percent local option sales tax for all sales-taxable goods sold in Brattleboro, a $12,000 funding request from Visiting Nurse and Hospice, $4,000 for KidsPLAYce, and $25,000 for Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies.
The net change, Elwell said, is “a reduction of $26,250 in the overall expenditures and revenues of the general fund.”
Wrapping up Police-Fire Facilities project
The next step is for the Selectboard to approve the document, then send it to RTM for that body's consideration.
Because the Board was down a member on Dec. 18, the remaining four put off making a final schedule, but they anticipate setting the date at their next meeting on Jan. 8.
The Selectboard will also address closing out the Police-Fire Facilities bonds at the Jan. 8 meeting, said Elwell.
The new police and fire stations need some more work, including a carport and roof repairs on the police headquarters and a new alarm system at the fire station.
Elwell said he would present the Board with details on these matters, at which point they will consider adding a related question to the RTM warning.