The proposed budget for Rindge is $5.67 million, a 3.3% or about $182,000 increase from the current year’s budget.
Town Administrator Max Vandervliet said the majority of the budget increase is accounted for in increases that are outside of the town’s control, including a 14.7% increase in the town’s health insurance.
“That’s just a major amount,” said Vandervliet, adding that the town’s health insurance costs are about $475,000 this year. “That’s a big hit.”
Vandervliet said there were also increases in contracted services that were significant, including mutual aid dispatch, which rose from $76,000 to $125,000.
During the budget hearing, Select Board Chair Bob Hamilton said the board and the Budget Advisory committee “agonized” over the budget, knowing that the town was currently in a default budget and wanting to avoid that scenario for the coming year.
Vandervliet said that multiple town department heads had been willing to give up raises, insurance or pension benefits to help hit budget targets or retain raises for other department employees.
Vandervliet said on Friday that the town’s default budget, which will go into place if the proposed budget does not pass, and represents last year’s budget plus contractual increases and minus one-time expenses, is still being finalized.
During the town’s budget hearing, Budget Advisory Committee Chair Dan Whitney pointed out that most of the approximate $182,000 increase in the proposed budget was accounted for by costs outside of the town’s control, saying it was a budget with “no cushion.”
Whitney said that everyone is feeling the effects of inflation, and, considering the amount that the town couldn’t control, a 3% increase was not unreasonable.
“We’re staying well below what the pace is,” said Whitney, of raising the budget to keep up with increasing costs.
The town’s deliberative session is scheduled for Jan. 31 at 9 a.m. at the Rindge Memorial School. Final voting on all warrant items, including the budget, is March 10.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.