Residents approved just over $1.1 million for the municipal budget for the fiscal year of Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2019, during the annual town meeting on March 19 at the Frenchville Community Center.
That represents a $26,000 increase in the town budget from last year, according to Frenchville Town Manager Ryan E. Pelletier.
Including funding for the local share of county and school bills, the overall budget for Frenchville stands at $1,638,637. That represents an increase of close to $700 for the county and almost $5,000 for schools.
Pelletier said town officials are going to do their best to “hold the mill rate flat” despite the increases in costs.
“Between revenues and the state Municipal Valuation Return, we’re hoping we have enough ratio so that we don’t have to increase anything, regardless of the $26,000 increase,” Pelletier said Thursday. “It’s going to be pretty close, very close.”
With little to no opposition, the 24 residents on hand approved every article in the budget as recommended by the budget committee and Select Board.
Among the items approved, residents OK’d the use of $5,500 in unappropriated surplus reserve funds for the 150th Anniversary Festival to be held the last weekend in July, and to use $20,000 from the surplus reserve to pave the parking lot that is used by the town office, public works, and the fire station.
“The parking lot is deteriorating right now, but if we just do a one inch overlay, then major earthwork will not have to be done,” Pelletier said.
Now that the budget is approved, Pelletier said he has to plug in the numbers into the state Municipal Valuation Return program which will determine where the town sits regarding the mill rate. However, members of the Select Board will have the final say when it comes to setting the mill rate. They are expected to determine the tax rate at their April 2 meeting.
In anticipation, the town manager pointed out that “we’re probably in the best shape the town has been in for years, financially, structurally.”
This story was originally published in the Fiddlehead Focus.