VASSALBORO: After long meeting, committee agrees to recommend school budget

by Mary Grow

By the end of an almost-three-hour April 16 meeting, Vassalboro Budget Committee members had agreed to recommend the 2024-25 school budget as presented by the school board, and to recommend rearrangements and reductions in the almost-final municipal budget.

The vote on the school budget was four in favor to three opposed, with two members absent. The decision was preceded by renewed discussion of issues reviewed the previous week (see the April 18 issue of The Town Line, p. 2).

Committee members’ goals as they debated the municipal budget were to provide needed services and to limit the expected tax increase. They considered using money from reserve funds and Vassalboro’s undesignated fund balance (informally called surplus) instead of from 2024-25 taxation, and eliminating or postponing some expenditures select board members proposed.

The $629,826 administration account was recommended with one change: by a six to one vote, budget committee members recommended against select board members’ proposed cost of living increase ($240), leaving a $500 increase intended for the incoming board chairman (see the Feb. 15 issue of The Town Line, p. 2).

Proposed road paving, and costs, were rearranged after public works employee Brian Lajoie presented suggestions. Lajoie reported the lowest paving bid was $93.25 per ton. Committee members unanimously recommended $510,000 for 2024-25 paving.

Other expenditures discussed included the proposed new skidstreer to plow the expected new North Vassalboro sidewalks (and for other uses year-round) and the proposed replacement loader.

Committee members voted six to one not to recommend buying a replacement loader in 2024-25. By the same margin, they voted to set aside $26,436 for the first payment on the skidsteer.

Future projects include putting up a new building to shelter equipment at the public works department lot on Bog Road, replacing the Mill Hill bridge and buying a new plow truck. Committee members discussed how much money should be set aside in what type of account; they voted unanimously to recommend a $100,000 plow truck reserve fund.

Committee chairman Peggy Schaffer tried to calculate recommended savings and the effect on the tax rate. Results were estimates, because the Kennebec County budget was undetermined as of April 16, and Vassalboro’s total valuation had not been set by the town’s assessor.

Valuation helps determine tax rate; the greater the total valuation, the lower the rate required to raise needed funds from taxation.

Select board members will prepare the warrant – list of articles to be submitted to voters – for the Monday, June 3, annual town meeting, where voters will approve the 2024-25 budget. The warrant includes recommendations from the two boards on municipal monetary articles, and from the school board and budget committee on school funding requests.