WHATELY — Residents at annual town meeting unanimously adopted a budget for the next fiscal year that carries a $22,745 increase from this year.
There were no protests from the crowd of roughly 100 inside the Whately Elementary School on Tuesday and a $4,675,687 budget passed without issue. Hikes in areas like general government and insurance benefits, despite drops in for commodities like fuel for town vehicles, contributed to the five-figure increase for FY2017
Town Administrator Mark A. Pruhenski previously explained to The Recorder that employee health insurance has gone up 6.8 percent because the town is part of the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust, established by the state for the joint purchase of insurance. Pruhenski also said the budget consisted of a $5,500 increase in employment insurance because it has been underfunded in the past.
The general government budget includes an increase from $303,345 to $356,978. Much of this stems from a proposed $9,165 hike in selectmen’s office expenses that Pruhenski said is the result an bi-annual financial audit becoming annual.
There is also a spike — from $57,969 to $63,051 — in the town administrator’s salary.
Townspeople also agreed on $13,000 for paving the town’s highway department lot to the salt shed, though a proposed amendment was overwhelming struck down. Selectman Frederick Orloski made a motion to amend the article to allow spending on repairs to the town’s highway garage. There was some objection to this by the audience and Finance Committee member Joe Zewinski.
Orloski said the money is important because the town highway garage’s foundation is deteriorating. He also said he wants something done sooner, rather than later.
Selectmen’s Chairman Jonathan Edwards there is a capital planning process for the repairs Orloski was referring to and he felt that was the best way to handle the situation. He recommended defeating the proposed amendment and discuss specific figures for the town highway garage at a special town meeting.
Voters then opted to authorize the Whately Board of Assessors to transfer from free cash $200,000 to reduce the tax levy for FY2017. They also agreed to let the town government to borrow $145,000 to purchase a new plowed-equipped dump truck for the highway department for the 2017 capital improvement plan. Pruhenski previously said the money would be borrowed from a bank and paid back over not more than three years.
Following a somewhat lengthy discussion, voters also authorized $84,000 from the Community Preservation Fund Budgeted Reserve to fund the preparation of bid-ready construction documents to rehabilitate the Town Hall building on Chestnut Plain Road.
You can reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 257. On Twitter, follow @DomenicPoli