The Westbrook City Council will take up next year’s budget proposal a final time Monday evening.
The spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1 totals $64.4 million. If approved, the property tax rate would increase from $18.40 per $1,000 of assessed value to $19.34.
That increase – 94 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, or more than 5 percent – would be the largest for Westbrook residents in eight years. On a house assessed at $190,000, the annual tax bill would go up $178.
The council voted 4-2 in favor of the budget during a first reading two weeks ago. If the budget is approved Monday, the school portion will require approval from voters June 13.
Most of the spending increases would not add services at Westbrook City Hall. The municipal budget included 2 percent raises for many employees, a change required by contract that will cost an extra $421,000 next year. Health insurance for employees will cost $315,215 more next year.
City Administrator Jerre Bryant said those increases meant he could not fulfill many requests for new programs or employees.
“This budget calls for a much larger tax increase than we’d like to be passing,” Bryant said.
However, the most contentious debate over next year’s budget has related to adding dollars. Two efforts to increase funding for the My Place Teen Center by $20,000 and $60,000 failed on split votes during the May 1 meeting.
The second and final meeting on the budget will begin at 7 p.m. Monday in Room 114 of Westbrook High School.
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