CLAREMONT — The City Council will hold a public hearing on a $17 million budget plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1 on Wednesday and could vote on the spending plan later that night.
It remains to be seen whether the council will make any changes to the proposed budget from Interim City Manager John MacLean, which currently carries no increase in the city portion of the tax rate of $15.27 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
“I did not hear a lot of controversy or concern,” MacLean said about the council’s budget review sessions last month.
The budget represents a spending decrease of about 1.7 percent or $290,000 from the current budget.
The council added about $27,000 for a part-time maintenance position at the community center but otherwise tentatively approved all other recommended spending as proposed, MacLean said.
Along with the proposed budget, MacLean added a column that represented a “wish list” of sorts for department heads to identify new projects and staff positions that could be discussed and possibly added by the council during budget deliberations.
“I am not sure if they will make any adjustments,” MacLean said, adding that increasing spending likely would change the tax rate assumption.
As one example of a “department extra,” a public works paving line item from MacLean is $434,000. The department had requested $750,000.
Other extras include the library’s request to add a position for $43,000 plus health insurance and another $10,000 for books, and the parks department wants $300,000 for capital improvements.
One big change by MacLean was to shift $161,000 for rental of hydrants from the fire department and to the water department. MacLean told the council he does not believe it should be a taxpayer expense.
The budget includes money for all negotiated collective bargaining agreements as well as small increases for merit plan employees.
About $11 million is to be raised by taxes. MacLean recommends using $500,000 of the city’s fund balance to level fund the tax rate.
Also being voted on Wednesday will be the water and sewer budgets, which are supported solely by user fees.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
