With the annual audit and budget complete, officials in the town of Bristol are firming up last minute details for the business portion of town meeting on Tues., March 17 at Bristol Consolidated School at 7 p.m. During a year of dropping excise tax revenues and increasing costs, the board of selectman managed to reduce the budget by $118,390.36.
The proposed 2009 Bristol General Services Budget contains 38 total items, which will go on the warrant in March.
Overall this year’s proposed budget of $1,911,004.86 is almost 6 percent less than the $2,029,395.22 approved by Bristol voters at the 2008 town meeting.
The $1.9 million figure includes the full amount of all non-profit requests to the town. The Bristol Board of Selectman didn’t recommend the entire amount of those requests.
According to Bristol Town Administrator Kristine Poland, the audit process begins as soon as possible after Jan. 1.
This year, the auditors arrived at the town office Jan. 5, sorting through records for close to three days, Poland said. Overall the audit took about a week.
Each department’s financial records are reviewed top to bottom, Poland said. Once the audit is completed, the town prepares the budget for town meeting.
“The results of the audit were positive,” she said. “Bristol always does well. Our system has a lot of checks and balances.”
The fuel, diesel and heating oil portion of the budget was reduced nearly 25 percent over last year. In 2008, Bristol voters approved $27,000. The 2009 proposed budget allocates $20,000 for fuel costs.
The Mid Maine Action Committee requested $1860, and the selectmen recommended unanimously against any funding. The board also unanimously recommended denying the $3000 request from the Central Lincoln County YMCA.
In response to other requests the selectmen recommended reducing the amount Bristol could contribute this year.
The board reduced the town’s funding for the Bristol Library from their requested $13,000 to the selectmen’s recommendation of $5000, Healthy Kids! from $1200 to $1000, the Eldercare Network from $3000 to $2000, Central Lincoln County Ambulance from $5450 to $5000, Miles Health Care from $5000 to $2500, New Hope for Women from $995 to $800, Spectrum Generations from $3293 to $2000 and the Pemaquid Watershed Association from $2000 to $500.
The warrant lists both the requested amounts for each organization, and the board’s recommendations. When approved at town meeting, the funds for these programs must be raised through taxation, Poland said.
In 2008, $294,000 was approved for Bristol payroll expenses. The selectmen recommended $302,000 for payroll this year, an increase of almost three percent.
The town officials and staff payroll stand to lose about $600 versus last year. The health insurance expenses increased $8500 above 2008. The board recommended increasing the Town Administrator’s pay by $1750 in 2009.
Selectmen recommended the town expenses be reduced by $8000 in the 2009 proposed budget. The town hall planning of $1000 included last year was removed from the Town Expense column.
Town Road Management will increase $50,000 over last year if approved by voters, just over an 11 percent increase. This year snow removal was separated road management.
The proposed snow removal budget for 2009 is $311,240, a potential increase of $63,240 versus 2008’s approved figures.
Fuel and heating funding is proposed at $20,000 for 2009, a reduction of $7000 over last year’s approved $27,000.
The Bristol Fire Dept. proposed budget would increase $12,650 over last year, for a total of $162,100 in 2009. That is a 2 percent increase over last year. The department is requesting the opportunity to replace one or two pump trucks.
Funds for Emergency Management have the potential to increase $600 over 2008. The Bristol/South Bristol Transfer facility portion of the proposed budget is $191,531. That is $14,293 cheaper than 2008.
Bristol Parks and Recreation projected budget for 2009 totals $234,700. That is a reduction of $19,222 from 2008’s $253,922.99 actual budget. Funding for Olde Bristol Days was reduced by a third, from $7500 to $5000.
Poland said Bristol jumped on the opportunity to purchase fireworks for 2009 early at a deep discount therefore, they were able to save $2500 from that budget this year.
Last year contingency funds were included in several departments, this year they are given their own category. Bristol wishes to allocate $10,000 of surplus money in the budget to cover contingencies in 2009.
Town meeting is scheduled for the residents to go to the polls on Mon., March 16 at the Bristol Town Office, and attend to the business portion of town meeting the following evening, Tues., March 17 at Bristol Consolidated School at 7 p.m.
