The town’s operating budget is proposed at $12.4 million for this year. This is a 5.8 percent increase from last year’s budget of $11.6. However, while expenditures are up this year, so are revenues, by about $472,000.
The increase in expected revenue means that the town estimates an increase of about $209,664 – meaning that while the total budget is up 5.8 percent, the increase in what’s expected to be raised by taxation is actually about a 3.8 percent increase.
The town is proposing to enter into two lease-to-purchase agreements this year, one for a new sidewalk tractor, and the other to replace the fire department’s self contained breathing apparatuses, or SCBA.
The fire department is requesting a $270,000 five-year lease to replace the department’s 30 SCBA, and 60 air bottles, as well as upgrades to the breathing air compressor, said Fire Chief Ed Walker in an interview on Wednesday.
“They’re coming up on 15 years old,” said Walker.
Fifteen years is the lifespan of the bottles. The apparatus themselves are inspected every year and compared to a national fire safety standard.
“Although they still work and are inspected ever year, every three years, the safety standards go through a revision cycle. We’re several sets of safety features behind,” said Walker.
The new bottles will have a louder personal alert safety system, which sounds if a firefighter is immobile for a period of time, or that the firefighter can set off manually if they are in trouble. The new packs also come with an updated display that shows more clearly the amount of air left in a pack, and sounds a warning when there is 30 percent of air left in the tank – the current ones sound when 25 percent of the air is left.
“It just gives firefighters a little extra time to finish their task and get to safety,” said Walker.
The lease for the new sidewalk tractor is also proposed for up to five years for $110,000.
The tractor is used to plow the sidewalks in town, and to mow the roadside and closed landfills, Town Administrator Rodney Bartlett said. The new tractor would replace the town’s 2004 machine.
Both leases will be discussed, along with the budget, at a public hearing at the Town House on March 7, starting at 6 p.m.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.