Casco is ironing out its budget for the next fiscal year.
Since the release of the town’s draft budget, the Select Board and Finance Committee have held four workshops, with the first three covering different areas of the budget and the fourth serving as a chance to follow up on outstanding items.
Town Manager Tony Ward explained that the dialogue in these workshops has thus far been very positive, albeit with questions about why some expenditures are increasing. He anticipated that there would be three more meetings before the final numbers are decided, which will be put on warrants for the town to vote on at Casco’s town meeting in June.
Ward said that in total, the town’s operating budget would see an increase of $221,994, or 4%, to a total of $5.75 million. He did note, however, that the operating budget accounted for just 35% of the town’s tax rate, with 60% being taken up by the school, which was proposing a more substantial $700,000 increase, and the remaining 5% being taken up by the county. When asked what the budget increases meant for Casco’s mil rate, Ward said that while there was no current projected mil rate, property taxes were unlikely to go down.
Regarding individual budget items, Ward said that the largest increase in dollar amount would be in the fire department, which he described as being the most expensive department in the town. The fire department will see an increase of $48,000, or 3.82%, to a total budget of $1.3 million.
Another department which will be receiving a notable budget increase is public works, which will see its budget increase by $36,096, or 3.53%, to a total budget of nearly $1.1 million largely because of contracted services for snow plowing. In terms of percentages, the biggest increase will go to the parks and beaches department, who will see its budget increase by $23,500, or 167.86%, to a total of $37,500.
Departments seeing a notable decrease in budget include dams, which will see a decrease of $3,500, or 35%, the largest decrease in dollar amount, to a total budget of $6,500; EMA, which will see a decrease of $3,000, or 58.25%, to a total budget of $2,150; and the open space commission, which will see a decrease of $1,500, or 60%, the largest decrease in terms of percentages, to a total budget of $1,000.
The proposed budget will also see capital expenditures increase by $173,086, or 100%, to a total budget of $795,000, with an additional $502,000 coming from capital and reserve accounts. While Ward told the Lakes Region Weekly specific projects have not been finalized, the budget proposes that the bulk of the budget, $600,000, go toward paving and road maintenance, alongside $170,000 and $12,000 from capital and reserve accounts toward the purchase of a plow truck and radio repeater for public works. Other proposed capital projects include $80,000 toward leasing a new ambulance for the fire department; $25,000 toward installing a wooden fence around the community park; and $220,000 from capital and reserve accounts going toward the running fiber optics along Route 302.
