Council to get budget next week
The Town of Barnstable's 2012 spending plan will be delivered to the town council at its May 5 meeting, with hearings scheduled to begin May 19.
The budget was described as "stable" in terms of town services by Finance Director Mark Milne on the April 28 edition of "Barnstable This Morning," the town's daily live program on Channel 18.
The town expects to raise about $5 million in additional tax revenue, including the allowed 2.5 percent increase in property tax levy, along with new growth, and other taxes such as excise, meals and hotel/motel.
The town will be down three positions as a result of an early retirement program, but Milne said those are not expected to have a significant effect on the town's level of service.
Milne said that the town is maintaining its projected 10 percent cut in state aid even though the latest figures from the state show only a 7 percent cut in state aid and a slight increase in Chapter 70 education aid. That will be held as extra capacity for future town (roughly $40,000) and school (roughly $750,000) budgets.
Milne did say that two of the town's self-funding enterprise accounts will be watched going forward. The town's two-course golf operation is projected to increase by 2 percent and the Hyannis Youth and Community Center is recommended for a 4 percent cut.
Milne said that the initial projections for the HYCC's business plan called for higher revenues than can be achieved in this economy.