MORRIS — After further reducing the potential rise in the tax rate, the Board of Finance has voted to send a fourth municipal budget proposal to the voters.
The latest draft budget totals $9.43 million, Chairman Scott Pottbecker said Friday. It would prompt a tax rate of 28.72 mills, up from 27.83 in the 2016-17 fiscal year.
A town meeting to consider the latest budget proposal has been scheduled for Jan. 4, Pottbecker said.
The third prospective budget, which was rejected by residents at a Dec. 6 referendum, totaled $9.45 million and would have led to a tax rate of 29.29 mills.
Pottbecker said the Board of Finance was able to increase the amount of money to be drawn from the town fund balance from $150,000 to $250,000 Thursday, after a draft of the community’s latest audit showed that the transfer included in last year’s budget was not made.
A planned salary increase for town elected officials was also reduced Thursday, Pottbecker said — the First Selectman’s salary would increase to $46,797 under this proposal, down from the $49,785 allocated in the board’s October draft — and funding for the Highway Department was reduced after a presentation from Foreman Lewis Clark.
He said he hopes the budget will pass this time around, allowing the community a steadier cash flow and giving the Board of Finance the chance to focus on the 2018-19 fiscal year budget.
“We’ve met with all the departments. We’ve gone through it; we’ve listened to concerns from the public,” said Pottbecker. “I do think it’s a reasonable budget.”
Pottbecker noted Friday that a significant majority of the town budget is beyond the board’s control, as it goes to Regional School District 6. The $6.64 million Region 6 budget was approved in May over the objection of Morris residents, who cast 324 votes against it out of a total of 419.
“We’re fortunate to be able to make this fund balance transfer,” said Pottbecker. “We’ve really tried to minimize the impact to our taxpayers.”
This is the second straight year Morris has had protracted deliberations over a new town budget — two drafts were voted down in 2016 before a third was approved.
Reach Ben Lambert at william.lambert@hearstmediact.com.