CLAREMONT — The City Council approved a $17 million budget Wednesday night after adding a total of about $40,000 to several line items, including a part-time maintenance person at the community center for $27,300 and an additional $5,000 for the Southwestern Community Services for the public bus transportation it provides the city, bringing the city’s contribution to the bus service to $30,000.
The budget represents a 3.7% decrease from the current fiscal year’s budget and carries no anticipated increase in the municipal portion of the tax rate, $15.27 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
Before the council discussed the amendments to the spending plan, Mayor Charlene Lovett presented a few of the highlights.
Lovett said the budget uses $500,000 from undesignated fund balance to hold the tax rate level, another $100,000 for Phase II of the Pleasant Street redesign and about $207,000 for debt service on the downtown Tax Increment Finance District.
The council’s vote came after nearly two hours of discussion on several of the increases including $5,000 for public works to install a crossing signal device on Broad Street near Stevens High School and the entrance to Monadnock Park. The public works budget already includes money for crossing signals in front of city hall, where Finance Director Mary Walter said the husband of a city employee was struck by a car and other employees have had close calls.
Police Chief Mark Chase told the council the signals are effective in slowing traffic and improving pedestrian safety.
“No doubt they are better than paint (on the crosswalk), so I would love to see them at all major intersections, but I understand there is a cost,” Chase said.
The signal motion, which passed, 5-3, was also supported by councilor Scott Pope, a teacher at the Sugar River Valley Technical Center. Pope said a lot of students use the crosswalk to get to the park for gym class or athletic practice.
“I’ve seen motorists blow right by, even with people in the crosswalk,” Pope said.
The council also added $500 for cemetery facilities but defeated motions for additional money for striping paint for crosswalks and a $7,240 increase for public works building maintenance.
The new fiscal year begins July 1.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
