The town expects state aid cuts of about $500,000, not the $1.7 million originally expected.
AMHERST – Town officials have voted to support restoring $690,000 in previous cuts to the overall town budget now that it appears state cuts will not be the $1.7 million or 12.5 percent as anticipated.
The town expects state aid cuts of about $500,000. Town Meeting will begin deliberating the budget May 2.
With adjustments to state aid, officials will restore $333,271 in cuts or a 1.79 hike over the current level funded town budget of $18.5 million. The town budget includes public safety, conservation, building, planning and public works among other departments but not the schools or the library.
For the schools, $464,188 will be restored.
Finance officials had requested that budgets be level-funded. The current town-wide budget is $63.2 million.
For the libraries, the $103,000 restoration budget means that overall $2.1 million budget will meet the state Municipal Appropriation Requirement, which means the town will not have to apply for a waiver. The town had to apply for a waiver two years ago when the town contribution fell below the state required contribution. The budget is funded by the town, the library endowment and fund-raising.
The decision to restore money to the budgets came following the release of numbers from the House of Representatives supporting Gov. Deval L. Patrick’s proposed state aid budget and a Senate resolution saying state aid would at funded at least at the levels supported by the governor and the House.
The House Ways and Means Committee released a budget earlier this month that included $834 million in unrestricted local aid, down 7 percent, or $65 million from this fiscal year. “The governor, House and Senate essentially are in agreement,” said Town Manager John P. Musante at a Select Board meeting last week.
Police, fire and communications center overtime is restored and a new housing code enforcement position will be created in the building department. That position “will help us in the safe and healthy neighborhood initiative,” Musante said.
Officials have said that office is short-staffed and an additional inspector would be able to address housing violations, such as trash or too many cars on the lawn.
The town will also add a tree and ground maintenance worker in the Public Works Department and money for a part-time energy and sustainability coordinator to help the town with its green initiatives, Musante said. The town is hoping to become a so-called Green Community and be eligible for state grants.
For the library, money will pay for the professional staff cost of living increase and an adult services librarian a position that is vacant.
For the schools, money will pay for a mathematics coordinator as well as mathematics coach among other restorations.
Despite the restorations, Select Board member Diana B. Stein pointed out that “we’re still having to exclude necessary spending.”
The town will be funding the capital budget with just 6.5 percent of the total tax levy when the goal has been to use 10 percent of that levy.
The recommended budget does include the town taxing to its full levy capacity, although town officials had considered not raising it by the full amount.
Last year, the town approved a $1.68 million override but only about $1.2 million was levied. This year officials talked about whether to levy the remaining $427,000.
In an email, Select Board chairwoman Stephanie J. O’Keeffe wrote that while state aid cut “is less than had originally been feared, it is still a cut. Preserving levy capacity at the expense of being able to maintain or reorganize key programs and services was not practical, and would have felt like a self-inflicted wound.” Officials hope that the budget puts the town “in the strongest possible position as we endure this fourth consecutive year of (cuts.)”