BERNARDSTON — As Bernardston’s budget figures come together, Finance Committee Chairwoman Jane Dutcher says the tax rate could go down for the first time in 12 years.
With a total budget of approximately $5.3 million, the tax rate is expected to be $19.63 per thousand dollar valuation, down from $19.78 this year. The change results from having more than $400,000 in free cash, as opposed to just $7,000 this year.
“We’re trying to use that wisely,” Dutcher said. “We’re trying to keep the tax rate down. Our tax rate has gone up so much.”
The tax rate has indeed risen steadily since 2006, when it was $13.70, a decrease from 2005’s rate of $17.20. However, the rate is contingent on the town’s vote concerning its contribution to the Pioneer Valley Regional School District’s operating budget.
The Finance Committee, Dutcher said, is recommending Bernardston level fund its contribution of nearly $2.8 million, while the district requested a 2.21 percent increase.
Dutcher and Northfield Finance Committee Chairwoman Lois Stearns expressed their concern in the increase in assessments each year, despite declining enrollment, which they agreed the towns simply cannot sustain.
“Some things I just can’t understand,” Dutcher told the School Committee during a March 30 meeting concerning the increases. By recommending level funding its contribution to the school district, Dutcher hopes the local finance committees’ voices will be heard.
If the school budget is passed as the district requested, Dutcher said, the Bernardston tax rate will rise again, to $19.92 per $1,000 dollar valuation.
Still, Dutcher said, the Bernardston Finance Committee is recommending all the requested capital projects for Bernardston Elementary School and Pioneer Valley Regional School. To carpet three classrooms and the library at Pioneer, and replace a section of gutters, the Finance Committee is allocating $11,768. At Bernardston Elementary, an additional $13,080 would fund replacing broken seals on 17 windows and one door, and $7,404 is being allocated for replacing the library carpet. The money for all the projects would come from free cash.
Dutcher said next year’s budget also includes a 2.5 percent increase in town officials’ salaries, and takes into account increased costs for health insurance.
“We try to look at salaries periodically to make sure we’re not getting out of sync with other towns in the area,” she said. “We often feel we can’t pay our employees what they’re worth to us.”
Additionally, the Finance Committee is recommending using $25,000 of free cash to establish an Other Post Employment Benefit (OPEB) fund to offer benefits other than pensions to the town’s retired employees. Dutcher said the plan is to add money to the account each year in the future until it is fully funded.
All of Bernardston’s committees and boards were asked to submit as level a budget as possible, Dutcher said, with many of the line items being level funded before factoring in the salary increases.
Many loans supporting construction on the Bernardston safety complex, purchase of a highway truck and fire truck, and repairs to the school roof were paid off during the current fiscal year.
However, $60,000 will be put toward paying off a $350,000 loan to replace the Turners Falls Road bridge, and Dutcher expects an additional $60,000 will need to be paid once construction begins this spring. Another $30,000 will be put into a stabilization fund to remove lead paint on two bridges over the Falls River, as has been done regularly for the past three fiscal years.
Dutcher said the Finance Committee increased the tree warden’s operating expenses from $1,750 this year to $5,350 next year “so he’ll be able to take care of more trees in town.” The veterans’ benefits line item also increased from $6,360 in this year’s budget to $20,000 in the new budge to support additional veterans, Dutcher said.
The committee is considering accounting for improvements at the Powers Institute as well, like installing an electric water heater.
Overall, the budget represents a 4.5 percent increase over this year’s $5.1 million budget, but the large amount of free cash has allowed the Finance Committee to keep costs down for residents with the proposed budget.
Dutcher said these budgetary figures are very close to being finalized, though the Finance Committee isn’t certain on the amount of money it will receive from the state and the tax rate won’t be finalized until it is approved by the state in the fall.
You can reach
Shelby Ashline at:
sashline@recorder.com.
413-772-0261, ext. 257.