FALMOUTH — Finance Director Peter McHugh says it’s too early to say what the impact to Falmouth’s tax rate will be as the town hammers out its next fiscal year spending plan.
“We’re trying to minimize the impact” through additional revenue and reducing costs where possible,” McHugh told The Forecaster Tuesday.
One known cost is the $1.3 million needed to hire 14 new full-time firefighters, which alone could add about 50 cents per $1,000 to the tax rate. McHugh on Monday told the Town Council that’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of new spending.
Among the demands on the 2020-21 fiscal year budget, he said, are a 2.5% cost of living increase for town staff; proposed new municipal staff, including an administrative analyst and a parks maintenance position; the costs of implementing the town’s new communications plan and increases in health insurance and worker’s compensation.
McHugh said a number of building security enhancements for all town buildings are also being brought forward.
In addition, McHugh said the new $6.6 million Falmouth Memorial Library expansion, which should be completed this spring or summer, also means the library is hoping to hire additional staff. There will also be added expenses to insure the 17,892-square-foot space. He said library staff would also like to see a wage increase and a new director will have to be hired, as longtime library leader Andy Jackson-Darling is leaving.
McHugh said the teacher’s union and the district are negotiating a new contract, and the School Department is also anticipating a 9% increase in the cost for health insurance.
Schools are implementing new programs to address students’ new social, emotional and behavioral needs that often require additional staffing and training.
McHugh said the schools have already identified more than 25 incoming students who have a number of special needs and said the district is also seeing “increasing and more intensive English Language Learner needs.”
The schools also have a variety of capital needs, particularly in expanding pre-kindergarten options, he said.
McHugh said the School Department expects to receive an additional $497,000 in state aid to education, but much of that will be offset by programming needs and, he cautioned, “state funding is always a wild card.”
Superintendent of Schools Geoff Bruno is scheduled to release his proposed budget Wednesday, March 4 and a school budget workshop is planned for noon Friday, March 13.
A combined town and school budget presentation is set for March 25 and a public hearing on the budgets will take place April 1.
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