Bristol taxes would rise 1% under budget plan

The Town Council continues its workshops on the town’s fiscal 2018 spending plan

By Patrick Luce
Posted 3/22/17

The average Bristol homeowner would pay about $60 more a year in property tax if the Town Council approves Town Administrator Steven Contente’s budget.

The Town Council continued its …

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Bristol taxes would rise 1% under budget plan

The Town Council continues its workshops on the town’s fiscal 2018 spending plan

Posted

The average Bristol homeowner would pay about $60 more a year in property tax if the Town Council approves Town Administrator Steven Contente’s budget.

The Town Council continued its workshops on Mr. Contente’s $54.3 million budget proposal this week. If approved, the town’s spending plan would increase by about $700,000 — or 1.29 percent — over fiscal 2017. That would result in a 20-cent increase in the property tax rate to $14.97 per thousand dollars of taxable value. The average $300,000 home in Bristol would carry an annual tax bill of $4,491.

“That is a very conservative increase. I want to show we are being very fiscally responsible,” Mr. Contente said. “I listened very carefully to the need to hold the line on our tax rate. I know where we can cut and still maintain public safety, our infrastructure and a mederate increase in spending to education at an affordable amount to our homeowners.”

Separate from the tax rate is the enterprise sewer fund, which would increase with the next budget by $18.73 per house per year to pay for the debt service on past improvements to the sewer system. The average Bristol taxpayer would pay a total of about $78 more per year under the proposed plan.

In crafting the budget, Mr. Contente said he asked every department head to freeze any non-essential spending and cut as much as possible from their spending requests. Most departments would see a moderate rise of 1 to 2 percent, mostly to pay for a 1 percent salary increase for non-union town employees. A handful of departments — including Police, Fire, Board of Canvassers, Community Development and human resources — would get less than last year. The Police Department would see the largest spending cut — more than 3 percent — owing to the fact that the force is fully staffed, saving on police academy costs, and its fleet of vehicles is in good shape.

Another significant cut would come from human resource grants — disbursements the town makes to area non-profits and charities. Mr. Contente’s proposal imposes a 30 percent cut in the grants across the board, saving the town about $30,000. The biggest cuts would be to the East Bay Center and Explore Bristol, both of which would see their $25,000 grants cut to $17,500.

“This is not an easy process. There are a lot of tough choices to make,” Mr. Contente said. “Holding the line on taxes — although some groups may disagree — is going to be healthier for us. Low taxes make Bristol more attractive.”

The biggest increase in the proposed budget is in fixed costs — expenses like pension benefits and interest on past loans — which will rise by nearly $200,000 (3.2 percent). Other significant increases include Public Works ($88,748, or 2.8 percent) to pay for increased tipping fees at the state landfill, and the Finance Department ($86,584 or 14.9 percent) to begin preparing for the upcoming property revaluation.

The Town Council workshops on the budget continue Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall. Another session is scheduled for Monday, March 27 at 6:30 p.m. The council is expected to take its first action on the budget during a special session April 3. That will be followed by a public hearing April 24 and final adoption scheduled for April 26.

Bristol budget, Bristol Town Council

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