By Keith Regan, Contributing Reporter
Westborough – Early budget projections show Westborough may not be able to keep to its internal goal of raising revenue by no more than 2 percent in order to keep up with growth, Town Manager Jim Malloy told selectmen Dec. 9.
Malloy said he is finalizing his draft budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2016, which starts in July, and still awaiting a final budget number from the School Department. However, early signs show that taxes may have to increase by more than 2 percent, which is a policy goal selectmen had set for themselves.
“We will still be below the 2.5 percent threshold,” Malloy said, adding that when a three-year window or longer is considered, revenue increases will average less than 2 percent over time as well.
Among the changes in the early budget process are a likely increase in healthcare costs. Premiums are expected to rise 6 percent – an industry-wide phenomenon driven in large part by coverage being extended to costly medications – but the town may see more employees opt out of taking the municipal insurance.
Proposed new programs or increases in Malloy’s budget may include $20,000 to fund professional development for all municipal employees; $16,000 to hire a fourth van driver for the Council on Aging; $34,000 to fund electronic voting devices for use at town meetings; and a part-time local inspector added to the building department to help deal with a surge of construction reviews.
Debt services costs will also rise by more than 3 percent next year as more payments come due on the new fire headquarters and the renovation of Town Hall.
Once Malloy drafts a final proposal, officials will spend the next three months reviewing and refining the budget before the Annual Town Meeting in March.