The Seekonk
Reporter
JUNE 2011 Volume 23, no. 6
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Budget and Zoning Changes Highlight Seekonk Town Meeting Agenda
By Laura Calverley Residents at the annual town meeting on June 20 will be reviewing the budget for Fiscal Year 2012 as well as 25 warrant articles. The recommended budget is approximately $42.6 million, a slight increase of 1 percent over the current year’s budget of $42.1 million. The school department’s portion is approximately $20 million.
Town Budget
A lack of growth in the economy, decreases in state aid and increases in fixed costs, such as health insurance, have made this year’s budget process a challenge for town officials. But Town Administrator Michael Carroll says the town is basically in “solid condition.” “The situation is stable. The recommended budget would preserve all general government services – police, fire, public works – and allocates an amount to the schools which is consistent with the town’s tradition of allocating 65% to schools and 35% to general government,” Carroll said. On the general government side, most town departments are seeing their department budgets reduced or level-funded, but no reductions in the workforce are expected. Every department is getting less than what they wanted, says Carroll, but it should not affect services. Next year is going to be another story. If health insurance and the pension assessment goes up and depending on the outcome of collective bargaining agreements that expire on June 30, the town could be looking at cuts for next year. If not cuts, then some reorganization is going to be needed, Carroll says. continued on page 4...
see page 60 Family Farming Day Sunday June 12 at the Carpenter Museum 1-5pm See page 33 for more details
The Seekonk High School Marching Band performs in the Seekonk Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 30. See more photos from the parade on pages 4 and 27.