Greenfield’s total expenses are slightly up from last year’s heading into Town Meeting.
Last year’s appropriated budget was about $2.211 million, while this year it is proposed to be a little more than $2.279 million. The number takes into account all warrant articles.
The budget sailed through a public hearing held in the middle of February, with few comments being made about the proposal.
The town’s police department budget is proposed to increase nearly $20,000 this year. A big portion of that increase is a result of a rise in the part-time wage line item, which has doubled from $10,000 last year to $20,320 this year. Chief Brian Giammarino said that the increase would allow the department to boost hourly wages so that they would be in a more competitive price range, and would also allow the town to pay part-time officers when salaried officers take vacation.
The police department is also asking for a $10,000 warrant article to add a new cruiser to its fleet. If taxpayers approve the new cruiser warrant article, the department would increase its fleet size to three and would permanently assign vehicles to the full-time officers.
Another big item is a $52,000 warrant article for the purpose of repairing the library foundation.