Increases in salary and insurances are the bulk of requested budget increases for the coming year in New Ipswich. 

Health insurance is up for many departments, some nearly doubling the budget for insurance, such as in the public works department.

The public works budget, as proposed by the department head, would increase by about $14,000, almost entirely due to increases in insurance costs. 

The town office proposed budget is $295,990, a $37,000 increase over the current budget. Most of the increase is attributed to a $10,000 increase in the salary line for the office assistants, and increases in health and dental insurance and retirement contributions.

The tax collector’s budget has been proposed to increase from $87,567 to $102,209. Most of the increase is attributed to increasing both the amount of hours worked by the deputy tax collector, and an increase in salary for the deputy. The deputy’s hours are proposed to increase from 14 hours a week to 21, and salary increase from $15 to $17.50 per hour. The increase in hours also qualifies the position for health insurance and retirement benefits, which makes up the bulk of the increase.

The Recreation Department budget is proposed to increase from $10,948 to $12,950. The increase includes more funds for licensing fees to show movies at the town field, and a $1,000 increase in the stipend for the recreation director Nichole Talbot.

The New Ipswich Library has requested an increase in its annual warrant article from $37,000 to $40,000. The Select Board expressed concern that the library was relying increasingly on tax-payer support, rather than fully using the interest from its endowment.

Michelle Pelletier, a trustee of the library, told the board the library trustees expect the current library director, Anne Soini, to retire in the next few years, and the library believes it likely the next director will require an increase in salary. Soini has a salary of $13,000, which Pelletier said may be a tough sell for whomever next takes the job. 

Selectman John Veeser told Pelletier he didn’t see the sense in increasing the budget now for an employee that’s not going to be hired this year. Selectmen Jay Hopkins and David Lage suggested the library use more of its endowment fund if there was a need to take on an employee to train under Soini to take her position.

Pelletier requested to move forward with the $40,000 request, saying she believed the town would support the increase.

The budget requests will continue to be reviewed by the Budget Advisory Committee and the Select Board. The BAC will make recommendations to the Select Board based on department head’s requested budget, and the Select Board will set the final budget, which will be presented to the voters in a public hearing before formally being added to the town’s warrant for voting in March. 

 

Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.