State is reducing how much they give Westport for beaches

State Sen. Michael Rodrigues wrote a letter explaining that the change in land valuation — and the formula to determine it — triggered the reduction.

WESTPORT — The town has some picturesque beaches and even gets a reimbursement for the state for some of its state-owned properties.

However, the town got some bad news, learning that next year it will be reimbursed $230,000 less for those areas.

State Sen. Michael Rodrigues wrote a letter explaining that the change in land valuation — and the formula to determine it — triggered the reduction. Rodrigues lobbied to secure more funding this year so that impacted communities such as Westport would receive the same reimbursement for fiscal 2019. In Westport’s case, that amounts to $838,058.

Starting next fiscal year, the reduction will take effect, leading to an approximate reimbursement of $608,000.

“The senator helped us push back on the reduction; we weren't anticipating it and that's a pretty big cut to suddenly absorb. He was successful in getting us a delay in that reduction so we have time to plan for it in next year's budget,” Selectmen Chairwoman Shana Shufelt explained. “The money goes into the town's general fund and is part of the total revenue available for the overall operating budget. It helps us this year but won't be there for next year's budget.”

She added, “The money is part of our total assessments from the state. I think of it as sort of like property tax for that land, if it was privately owned we'd be due property tax, because it's state owned we get this instead.”

Shufelt announced this change at the start of the last selectmen meeting and said recently that town officials have not begun formally mulling over the fiscal 2020 budget to determine how the town would account for the change. Selectmen in recent years have tasked the town administrator with beginning the fiscal planning in the fall before meeting with selectmen.

The Finance Committee conducts its own meetings and in early winter is given a budget from the town administrator to make its own recommendations.

According to Rodrigues’ office, the state Department of Revenue uses local assessors maps to calculate the reimbursement formula.

Horseneck Beach and Gooseberry Island are two of the most prominent and visited state-owned lands in the area.