CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town is looking at an operating budget of $1,859,413 for fiscal 2025, down a percent from this year largely because of debt falling off.

 

Town officials are projecting a total budget at about $5.1 million, however, the School Committee is not expected to approve a school budget for two more weeks so no final number has been determined.

 

Town officials said they've asked the school budget to come in at a 2 percent increase. Finance Committee member Carla Fosser asked what would happen if it was more than that. 

 

"Then we would need to make cuts," said Town Administrator Carl McKinney, adding, "I'm a product of that school. But at the same time, we have a town to run to and, you know, we're facing uncertain weather events. And our culverts are old, the roads are falling apart. ... ." 

 

The assessment to McCann Technical School is $363,220, down about $20,000 from this year.

 

The major increases on the town side are step and cost-of-living raises for employees (with the exception of the town clerk at her request), the addition of a highway laborer, an increase in hours from 16 to 24 for the town accountant, and insurance and benefits that are about $70,000. There is a slight increase for employee training and supplies such as postage.

 

Select Board Chair Robert Norcross at Wednesday's joint meeting with the Finance Committee, said the town's employees are hard-working and that wages aren't keeping up with inflaction.

 

"All the employees in Town Hall, I have gotten nothing but high reviews of how they work together," he said. "I don't want to lose these people."

 

In addition to increasing the accountants hours, based on discussions with current and past accountants on the workload, that post is being expanded to 24 hours. The Select Board's administrative assistant is also getting a bump for taking on the duties as the assessor's assistant. The town administrator's salary will also see an increase in anticipation of contract negotiations in December. Stipends were also added for the newly established Agriculture Committee with $100 for the chair and $50 for the members.

 

The Select Board has wanted to add a fourth laborer to the Highway Department for some time and sees fiscal 2025 as the year to do it.

 

The current crew have enough seniority for three weeks vacation that they're all taking during the summer since the town's policy is not to allow time off during the winter because of plowing. That's leaving the town shorthanded for weeks. 

 

Town Administrator Carl McKinney said another factor is safety, in that there are certain actions that require two people according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Some of the work is dangerous, such as going into manholes or using a chainsaw, and a second person should be on hand. 

 

When questioned about a part-time worker, McKinney said he had advertised for one and got no responses. He and the Select Board agreed adding a fourth person would be safer and more efficient.

 

The Department of Public Works salary line is projected to rise from $156,978 to $230,070; the total budget will go from $375,013 to $460,135.

 

A significant drop-off in debt has decreased pressure on the budget as the $1 million in infrastructure borrowing approved in 2019 has been paid off. 

 

"It's been five years already so that is now off the books," said Norcross. "So it was $195,000 that we won't have to pay in debt this year."

 

The only debt left on the books now is a $42,000 a year payment on a highway truck approved four years ago. The last payment on that truck will be June 15, 2026.

 

In other spending, the assessor's budget has increased over the last two years for consultants in preparation for entire town revaluation in 2026 and the treasurer's tax title fees line has doubled from $4,000 to $8,000 because of legal costs.

 

"We have multiple properties that we need to put liens on to date and that whole process is legal, you have to pay the attorney legal fees to do it," said Town Administrator Carl McKinney, adding the process is "cumbersome."

 

The town may try to foreclose on some properties through the Department of Revenue's "Land of Low Value" procedure that avoids costly Land Court.

 

The tree warden's budget was increased to $2,500 in response to the number of trees that have come down in the recent storms. 

 

"So all in all, I feel that the budget from '24 to '25 actually has gone down a little bit because of our getting rid of our debt, that was the biggest factor for that," said Norcross. "So that counteracts going out getting a fourth person for the DPW or whatever. So I think all in all, we're we're in pretty good shape, and  I think we're in pretty good shape for town meeting."

 

The boards also reviewed the town meeting warrant without some of the budget numbers, which will be filled in before the warrant is approved. 

 

The main spending articles outside the budget are articles is to use free cash to put toward a DPW truck at $142,000, Patriot software for the assessor at $8,000, set aside $167,000 toward a new roof on the school and, decided Wednesday, $5,000 for new doors at the Community Center. 

 

Three years of free cash was certified by the state in March to the tune of $571,000. Town meeting has approved draining the stabilization fund of $231,000 last year to reduce the tax rate with the caveat it would be replenished. The article proposed by the Finance Committee and Select Board would put $249,000 back into the account. 

 

McKinney said the school is applying to the Massachusetts School Building Authority's accelerated repair program to address the roof but cannot do so until town meeting approves the town's portion of the cost. 

 

Other articles on the town meeting warrant include extending the moderator and the tree warden from one year to three-year terms; adopting a bylaw requiring owners clean up after their dogs and a change in dog licensing from May to January; adoption of the state's Community Preservation Act; adoption of a right to farm bylaw; and a transfer of $157,000 from the sewer enterprise fund for engineering work. 

 

There was no formal vote but both boards essentially endorsed the budget and town meeting warrant articles.