HARTFORD — The School Board and Selectboard last week approved the budget proposals that will go before voters at Town Meeting in March.

While the district’s expenses increased, the school budget will result in a decrease in the education tax rate. On the municipal side, taxes will increase despite efforts across town departments to hold down spending.

Last Tuesday night, the Hartford Selectboard unanimously approved a $22.7 million budget, which marks a 4.71% spending increase from the current year, Town Manager John Haverstock said at the meeting, which was livestreamed.

The tax rate would increase from $1.16 per $100 of assessed property value this year to $1.22 in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

On a $250,000 home, the tax increase will amount to about $150, Haverstock said.

“I personally would like to see a much lower number, but I don’t know how we can operate the town without the budget being what it is,” board member Lannie Collins said during discussion on the motion to accept the budget.

The board’s decision comes at the end of a process that included cuts to initial budget proposals across town departments.

“The initial budget we reviewed represented a 24% increase over last year’s,” Selectboard Chairman Mike Hoyt said by email Thursday.

Increases in salaries and health benefits were among the cost drivers.

“Union contracts compelled a 4% wage increase across the board, and our health insurance premiums increased by 11%,” Haverstock said.

“We asked town staff to find $700,000 in cuts and, to their credit, they found $1.3 million, reducing the increase to 9%. After further work, we got the increase down to under 5%,” he said.

The cuts were made by postponing purchases, using fund reserves “and by simply by doing without,” Haverstock said. “I eliminated my proposed facilities manager position, for example.”

In addition to the general fund budget, Hartford voters will be asked to allow the town to use $500,000 in revenue from the local option tax on meals, rooms and alcohol to purchase vehicles and equipment for the parks and recreation, police and fire departments. Those purchases “would otherwise be funded through the general fund budget,” Haverstock said.

In a separate ballot article in March, voters will be asked to approve a new 1% local option tax on sales. If it passes, all of the revenue from that tax would be applied to the general fund to offset property tax burdens.

Last Wednesday night, the School Board voted 3-0 to approve a $55 million budget for fiscal year 2026. The proposal marks an 8% increase in spending over last year.

Board Chairman Kevin “Coach” Christie and member Garrett Wilson were absent.

The budget is a “level service budget,” interim Superintendent Caty Sutton said by email Thursday. There are no reductions to staff or programming from the current year, and no increases to staff or programming.

The primary drivers of the increase in costs are a $2.2 million increase in district salaries and benefits, and a $1.2 million increase in building costs, including principal payments on the $21 million bond for facilities upgrades that voters approved last April.

In spite of the spending increases, the homestead property tax rate to support the town’s schools is expected to decrease from last year’s rate of $2.05 to $1.82 per $100 of property value.

For a house assessed at $250,000, the homestead rate would result in a $558 decrease in property taxes from last year if the property value were to remain the same.

However, any estimated property tax bill is subject to variables that include the reassessment of a home’s value and any tax credits for which a homeowner may qualify.

The reason for the decreased school tax rate despite an increase in district spending is that Hartford is scheduled to complete its town-wide property reappraisal in June. As a result, homeowners will not be subject to an upward adjustment in property values through the common level of appraisal, or CLA, the district’s finance director Jacob Vezina said by phone Friday.

The CLA adjusts property values so that they are aligned with the fair market value. It is a tool used to create equity in education taxation in the period between town-wide property assessments.

A Budget and Candidates Night is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. in the High School Auditorium.

Hartford’s Town and School Meeting will be held on Saturday, March 1 at 10 a.m. in the high school gymnasium.

Voting by Australian ballot will take place on Tuesday, March 4, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the high school gymnasium.

Christina Dolan can be reached at cdolan@vnews.com or 603-727-3208.