Vassalboro select board hears manager’s initial budget draft

by Mary Grow

All six China Budget Committee members and four of the five Select Board members watched Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood’s Feb. 3 on-screen presentation of the initial draft 2025-26 town budget. Each went home with a binder containing an inch of paper detailing past, present and proposed finances.

The introductory page shows Hapgood’s proposed budget, totaling $4,996,148. This figure is $191,752 higher than the current year’s budget.

Major recommended increases include more than $70,000 for public works; more than $60,000 for public services; and more than $54,000 for emergency services. The manager proposes decreases from the current year in five accounts; the largest is $18,500 from the transfer station, mainly achieved by moving a part-time employee to the public works payroll.

This person will continue to work in both departments as needed, Hapgood said.

Her presentation summarized some of the budget highlights. New expenditures she proposes include adding a part-time Community Program Director, at an anticipated cost of $11,000; and creating a new reserve fund for replacement scales at the transfer station, starting with $12,000.

The manager is recommending a 3.5 percent cost of living pay increase for town employees. The figure matches the CPI (Consumer Price Index) increase for northern New England, she said.

After review by the budget committee and select board and approval by the latter, the budget will be presented to voters at the June 10 annual town budget meeting. The 2025-26 fiscal year begins July 1.

Hapgood pointed out that not all the almost $5 million will come from property taxes; excise taxes and state revenue sharing are important contributors. And, she said, new homes and new businesses have increased the tax base.

A major concern that surfaced repeatedly in Hapgood’s presentation is emergency services. How will 911 calls be answered in the future? she wondered.

Delta Ambulance is one aspect. The Waterville-based service essential to transport sick or injured residents is charging towns it serves $25 per resident this year and will increase the fee to $35 in 2025-26. This year China was billed $110,200; next year’s bill will be $154,280.

Hapgood proposes paying for 10 hours a week coverage by Kennebec County deputy sheriffs, instead of the current eight hours, increasing that budget line from $36,000 this year to $44,200 next.

And she worried about the decline in volunteers for China’s three fire departments and China Rescue. Members are aging out, and not enough younger members are replacing them, she said.

Hapgood urged select board and budget committee members to review the information in their budget books and send her any questions, preferably well before the Feb. 10 select board meeting.