WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Hartford Selectboard members reached the end of months of budget discussions this week with plans to allocate money for a wellness coordinator position and a potential shelter for homeless people.

Board members discussed the new proposed general fund budget at a virtual Selectboard meeting Tuesday, and agreed to meet later this month to approve the final budget proposal.

Though a version of the budget pitched earlier this month had a tax rate increase of 1.6 cents per $100 of a home’s assessed value, board members have agreed to add several expenses to the proposal, bringing the new tax rate increase to 1.97 cents. That would mean an additional $49 for the owner of a $250,000 home.

During the meeting, board member Simon Dennis stressed the importance of keeping the increase at or around 2 cents, which he said has been standard in recent years.

However, in order to do that, officials will need to dip further into town savings than they had originally planned, using almost $616,000 of their unassigned fund balance to prevent higher tax increases, Hartford Finance Director Gail Ostrout told board members.

The hourlong budget discussion Tuesday centered on several issues that board members have been mulling over in recent months, including establishing a position for a wellness coordinator. The wellness coordinator would respond to calls from people experiencing mental health crises, homelessness and other social issues while providing them access to resources.

The town has long considered the idea, which is getting more attention lately as communities discuss alternatives to traditional policing.

Board members agreed to put aside $10,000 to help create a budget for the wellness coordinator to work with, in case they hire someone for the position within the next fiscal year.

“It would be nice to not sabotage a coordinator coming in by saying, ‘There’s nothing for you to work with,’ ” board member Alicia Barrow said at the meeting.

Ostrout, who initially suggested the $10,000 figure, clarified during the meeting that it was merely a “starting point” for a wellness coordinator budget, since the position would be new and it’s still unclear how much funding it might require.

Another focus was $75,000 of funding, which was budgeted toward a shelter that Hartford and surrounding towns were planning to create in the area, Dennis explained at the meeting.

However, those plans “never came to fruition,” and Dennis said the town doesn’t have a purpose for the full $75,000.

He suggested instead allocating $20,000 to help create a “low-barrier” homeless shelter in the future, meaning a shelter that does not require drug and other testing, instead providing shelter to all people in case of emergency.

In addition to the homelessness and wellness coordinator items, board members agreed to budget $6,400 for an end-of-year “employee banquet” which board chair Dan Fraser suggested would boost morale.

The budget meeting followed a directive from the Selectboard asking every town department to submit proposals for flat budgets, as well as budgets decreased by 5% and by 10% in an attempt to reduce the financial impact on taxpayers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The departments have been presenting their proposals to the board over the last few months and began finalizing the budget at a meeting Dec. 1.

During that meeting, board members agreed to several additions to the budget, including making the town’s energy coordinator position full-time with a $30,000 salary, and spending over $15,000 on information technology services.

Ostrout agreed to revise the budget following Tuesday’s suggestions, and bring the final proposal back in front of the board for approval on Dec. 29. If approved, the budget will then go in front of voters at a March Town Meeting.

Anna Merriman can be reached at amerriman@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.