ATTLEBORO — Mayor Paul Heroux’s annual budget has been approved by the city council as presented last month.
The total to be spent in fiscal year 2023 is $164,125,582.
The total budget is $165,660,684, which is an increase of $7,042,973, or 4.4%, from the FY ‘22 revised budget of $158,617,611.
The total budget includes deficit spending for snow removal, which is $710,002, and the overlay account for tax abatement, which is $825,000.
Those amounts are not included in departmental spending from the general fund.
As usual, the school budget consumed more than half the spending plan, about 55%.
It got a boost of $7,433,030, or 8.9%, to $90,761,044 from its revised FY ‘22 budget of $83,328,013.
The city’s payment for the new high school this year will be $6,799,356, up by $592,975, or 9.6%, over FY ‘22.
The council approved the budget June 21 and there was only one motion to cut — money for an additional animal control officer.
That motion was denied on a 9-2 vote.
Councilors Richard Conti and Ty Waterman voted to cut the proposed position which will increase staffing in that department from two to three.
The budget was approved on a 10-1 vote with Conti, chairman of the finance committee, voting no.
Both the water and wastewater budgets were approved 11-0 without amendments.
However, both departments have raised their rates.
The water department rate was increased to $5.51 per 100 cubic feet, a $0.41 increase from fiscal 2022.
This rate applies to consumption on and after July 1.
The wastewater department went to $10.20 and $11.10 per 100 cubic feet for residential and industrial users, respectively.
Those increases went up by $0.73 from fiscal 2022.
These rates apply to consumption on and after July 1.
The total water department budget is $7,802,249 which is down from the revised $7,819,956 in FY ‘22.
The total wastewater department budget is $10,209,382 which is up from revised $9,659,872 in FY ‘22.
Budget director Jeremy Stull said the rate increases in water and wastewater came as the result of cost increases.
“These increases were almost entirely driven by the increased costs of chemicals required for each department to operate,” Stull said in an email. “While the general fund enjoys the benefit of a booming economy through things like meals tax, motor vehicle excise tax and increased state aid, the enterprise funds must exist solely on their rates and fees, which perform largely (outside) the broader economy. As such, during intense inflationary times, their rates must be raised to sufficiently support their operations.”
George W. Rhodes can be reached at 508-236-0432.