Mansfield Town Manager Presents $45M Budget Proposal

Mansfield Town Manager Matthew Hart has proposed a $45,086,340 operating budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year.

In Monday’s budget presentation, Hart recommended a 2.1 percent increase in expenditures, which would require a .53 mill increase, bringing the mill rate to 27.21.

Based on the proposed budget, taxes for the owner of an average single-family house would go up 1.98 percent, or $89.

For a house valued at $169,080, the tax bill would be $4,600 for the year, Director of Finance Cherie Trahan said.

In the proposed budget, the Mansfield Board of Education (MBOE) budget remained level-funded at $20,588,160.

Region #19’s Board of Education is currently reviewing Superintendent Bruce Silva’s proposed $19.59 million budget, representing an increase of $650,940, or 3.4 percent over the current year.

Hart said Monday that the Town was anticipating a $9,552,850 contribution to Region #19, a decrease of $176,390 or 1.8 percent.

“In my view, the Proposed FY 2012/13 Budget is a responsible spending plan that is designed to support current services and to advance key Council policy goals and objectives, while continuing to control expenditures,” Hart said in his report.

“With a moderate tax increase of less than two percent we have the opportunity to continue our efforts to restore fund balance in the general fund and to increase the general fund contribution to the capital projects fund in order to develop a more sustainable capital improvement program,” Hart said.

Mansfield’s proposed budget, which will be voted on at a Town Meeting in May, includes costs associated with Storrs Center, an increase in MBOE salaries and funds to staff an additional full-time Resident State Trooper in the coming year.

begin Tuesday, March 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building.