LISBON

Lisbon’s school spending is due to rise by 5.5 percent, with taxes going up by 10 percent — according to its final budget proposal.

Residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on the spending plan at a public hearing, scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday. The school committee is set to meet before the public hearing to approve a final budget proposal.

The proposal budgets spending at $16.5 million, an increase of $837,647 — or 5.5 percent — from the current fiscal year. On the revenue side of the budget, $7.1 million would be raised by taxes, an increase of $654,892 — or 10 percent.

The biggest driver for spending increases is for salaries — and too-low estimates in previous years.

Superintendent Rick Green previously told town councilors the school district had kept a static $250,000 increase in salaries each year for a number of years. The actual increase for the coming year, however, is nearly double that amount — $455,586.

In addition, last year, the district used $200,000 from an unassigned fund balance to help offset various budget expenses, including the launch of the Gartley Street School alternative education program and salary adjustments.

That left just $5,678 remaining in the fund to help offset costs the next budget.

One item not included in the budget proposal is funding for an additional school resource officer. During discussions about school safety, the possibility had been raised to add another.

Lisbon currently has one such officer, with 75 percent of the salary paid by the school department and 25 percent paid for by the town.

In studying the possibility of adding another officer, Police Chief Marc Hagan estimated the cost of salary and benefits for an officer with the necessary experience to do the job would be $84,707. He also noted the challenge for a small department, like Lisbon’s, adding another officer is a limited amount of availability for that officer to work patrol.

The position could still potentially be added to the budget after Tuesday night’s hearing.

After the public hearing, a final budget would go before the town council on May 15. Residents would then vote on the school budget on June 12.

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