A three to five-percent budget cut over last year may be unattainable in upcoming budget discussions, according to Town Manager Dave Caron.
Caron, who met with the Budget Committee Wednesday, said the town may have to re-think its goal, as previous budget cuts and cost-saving measures have reduced the budget over the years.
“Candidly, I don’t see us teasing three to five-percent out of the budget,” said Caron.
Caron said he would look back at the past five years worth of budgets to determine where line items could be cut. Caron said he doesn’t want to penalize a department for not spending money in one year if it isn’t a trend of underspending.
Caron said one area the budget could go up was retirement, which goes up every two years. Caron expects an increase of about $15,000.
Caron also updated the committee on this year’s budget, saying that expenses are tracking well. Caron said it has been a great budget year so far, as the town has benefited from low fuel prices and a slow winter at the beginning of the year.
The other Budget Committee members confirmed they would be able to make a joint meeting with the Select Board on Nov. 28, a meeting in which Caron will present a preliminary budget. Typically, the Budget Committee would have its own presentation in December, but Caron is leaving for a new job by then.
Jack Belletete updated the other members of the committee about the capital improvements plan, saying the Capital Improvements Committee is nearly done crafting its proposal.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.