The $15 million for schools is $671,723 below what the school department requested.
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Easthampton Mayor Michael Tautznik EASTHAMPTON – Mayor Michael A. Tautznik has submitted a $35.2 million budget to the City Council for fiscal 2013, $1.4 million less than city departments requested.
The budget is up $1.2 million over fiscal 2012, or 3.7 percent.
The budget restores two of three hours to non-union employees that were cut four years ago.
There are no cuts in staffing.
The $15 million for schools, however, is $671,723 below what the school department requested. The School Committee has voted to ask the City Council to support a Proposition 2½ property tax override. The amount of that override request has not been determined.
In his executive summary, the mayor wrote, “In keeping with our historic financial practices, the proposed FY2013 budget maintains the posture of maximizing local receipts and increasing local tax revenues to the full extent permitted under state law.” That means a 2.5 percent hike in property taxes, plus the additional 83 cents per $1,000 to begin paying off the new high school under construction.
The mayor is also anticipating a $260,000 increase in new growth.
He said the budget does not include using any money from the city’s free cash or stabilization fund.
While the mayor is expecting a slight increase in state aid, increased charter school tuition costs partially offset the 2.4 increase, he wrote.
He’s also only expecting a slight increase in motor vehicle excise tax revenue and a slight bump on penalties and interest on taxes.
The City Council Finance Subcommittee will hold three hearings next month to review the budget before members make a recommendation to the full council for a vote. A budget must be adopted by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.
