By ARCHIE MOUN TAIN
NEWPORT — During a three-hour meeting Monday night the Newport Board of Selectmen approved their proposed operating budget for 2018-19 along with 27 warrant articles.
The operating budget calls for expenditures of $10,083,044, a gross increase of $83,548 over the current fiscal year. This is a proposed increase of .8 percent.
The tax rate of the operating budget is anticipated to be $11.59 and the default budget of $9,768,578 is anticipated to be $11.38.
Todd Fratzel filed Wednesday for another three-year term on the Board of Selectmen. Tobin P. Menard filed for the three-year term for Library Trustee and also the six-year term for Supervisor of the Checklist. Filings for town offices will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 30.
After applying revenues, the net increase in the proposed operating budget for the same period is $94,229 or 1.92 percent. This represents a reduction in actual revenues expected for this period.
The good news is that the expected impact on the municipal tax rate is .67 percent or .08 per $1,000 in property valuation.
According to information presented at the meeting, several changes that have or are recommended to occur, have allowed the town to achieve these numbers.
Included are LED lighting savings; emergency management/equipment grant activity; reduced payroll, every two weeks vs. weekly; deferred replacement of one police department cruiser (purchasing 1) until next year; reduced staffing in planning and zoning, welfare and buildings and grounds and level funded non-salary line items to last year’s levels.
Bert Spaulding Jr., a budget watchdog, praised town officials and the board of selectmen for their efforts keeping the tax rate increase on the low end. The Newport Budget Committee has already approved the operating budget.
Capital project recommended or contemplated in the proposed budget follow:
Oak Street Bridge replacement.
Road paving at $250,000.
Preparing to replace salt shed, $40,000.
Water, wastewater and storm water infrastructure study to support the development of a new town wide 25-year Capital Improvement Plan, $30,000.
Coon Brook bridge replacement
1st, 2nd, 3rd,and 4th streets utility replacement.
Replacement of existing sidewalks, Cheney Street, $150,000.
New accounting/water/sewer billing system software, $40,000.
Purchasing and installation of air handling/exchange system for fire department, $25,000.
Town share of Economic Development position, $15,000.
Continued implementation of town video surveillance system, $11,000.
Implementation of town wide wage study, $145,000.
Included 3.4 percent health insurance premium increases.
Sign package trailer, $14,500.
Emergency equipment trailer, $23,500.
The Grand List Value of the town is $431,562,529. Each penny of tax rate raises $4,300.
There are several articles that would have a tax impact if passed by voters.
Included is Article 13 seeking an appropriation of $200,000 for architectural, engineering and construction management fees, land purchase and any other associated cost for the development of a new community center.
According to testimony by Selectman Scott Fratzel, the site being recommended for the new community center is the Rowell-Caplan Little League Field on Meadow Road. The tax impact for the $200,000 appropriation was listed at 46 cents.
Other articles that will have a tax impact should they gain approval include Article 15 to appropriate $80,000 for the costs associated with Finance Department software, 4 cents; Article 16, $5,000 to be transferred to the Communications Capital Reserve Fund, 1 cent; Article 18, $12,500 to be transferred to the district court Capital Reserve Fund, 3 cents, and Article 19, $40,000 to be transferred to the Recreation Facilities Capital Reserve fund, 2 cents.
In Article 23 Newport will vote on allowing the operation of Keno games within the town.
Article 26, submitted by petition seeks to increase the amount of the Disabled Property Tax Exemption adopted at the 2013 Town Meeting from $15,000 to $150,000.
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