Greenville is seeking funding for new town equipment and building maintenance in its warrant this year.

During a budget hearing on Wednesday, the Select Board reviewed the budget, as well as all warrant articles expected to be before voters in March. The proposed budget for the town is $2.8 million, about a 4.3% increase from the current budget of $2.7 million. Salaries and benefits are the biggest driver in the budget this year.

The town requests funding for its wastewater and water departments in separate warrant articles each year. Rather than being funded by taxation, the departments are funded by user revenues. Both departments are seeing increases this year. The Water Department budget for 2025 is $426,912, about a $23,000 increase, mainly attributed to contract increases, chemical costs and the cost of electricity. The Wastewater Department budget is expected to go up about $36,000, with contracted services, sludge disposal and electricity among the drivers.

In one of the capital expenditures on the warrant this year, the town is seeking to use $75,000 to purchase and equip a new mini-excavator and trailer for the Public Works Department. The equipment would be used by the highway, water, sewer and cemetery departments. About $18,000 is expected to come from the sale or trade-in of the town’s existing backhoe, which the mini-excavator would replace, and $57,000 would come from the end-of-year fund balance.

If funding requests approved, several town buildings would see upgrades, including the Town Hall and watewater pump station. The town is seeking $150,000 for repairs at the wastewater station, coming from the end-of-year fund balance.

The town is also asking for $25,000 from the fund balance for upgrading entry systems at Town Hall.

The town is also seeking $8,000 from the fund balance for a second storage container for the Highway Department, for use by the Emergency Management Department.

Two articles address additions to the town’s existing trust funds and capital reserves. In one article, the town is requesting a total of $30,000 for capital reserves – $20,000 for the Green Bridge Improvement Fund and $10,000 for public works equipment. Of that funding, $10,000 would come from the end-of-year fund balance.

In a separate article are the expendable trust requests, for a total of $105,000. The requests include $10,000 for pool repair and improvements, $25,000 for fire equipment, $10,000 for police cruisers, $10,000 for the new fire station fund and $50,000 for highway maintenance. A total of $60,000 is requested to come from the end-of-year reserve.

Several articles have to do with establishing, discontinuing or changing the purpose of existing trusts or reserve accounts. The town wishes to create a new expendable trust for the maintenance of town cemeteries, which would allow the town to accept gifts and legacies for that purpose. In a separate article, the town is asking to close the Cemetery Land Capital Reserve, and place the balance – $28,987 – into the new trust fund.

The town is also seeking to close the Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade Fund, established in 2009. That fund only has about $16 in it, and the project has been completed.

The town is also seeking to change the purpose of the New Fire Station Trust Fund, which was first established in 2007. The new uses for the fund would include hiring architects or engineers, acquiring land and the construction of a new fire station.

In addition to monetary warrant articles, the town is seeking to extend its cooperative policing agreement with Temple. The contract would extend the current arrangement for another three years. According to Town Administrator Tara Sousa, the contract language is the same as it has been for the last three years of the agreement.

Voting on town offices and zoning amendments is scheduled to be held on March 11 at the Mascenic Education Center SAU offices at 16 Adams St. from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting on all other warrant issues will be done during Town Meeting on March 15 at 9 a.m. at the SAU offices.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.