STANDISH — Town Manager Bill Giroux’s February proposal for the 2021-2022 budget is up 13.7% over this fiscal year’s $10.7 million budget, for a total of $12,145,033.
Under the proposal, the projected municipal property tax rate for the 2021-2022 fiscal year would go up 46 cents, or 11%, to $4.67. Last year’s property tax rate per $1,000 of assessed property value was $15.15, $4.21 of which was for municipal taxes. The owner of a $250,000 home in Standish can expect to pay $115 more in municipal property taxes alone this upcoming fiscal year, for a total of $1,167.50.
The majority of the proposed budget increases come from salary hikes for the assessing and planning staff, as well as a nearly 12% increase in the county sheriff contract and $2.3 million for capital improvement projects.
The staff at the assessing and planning departments will see increases of 37% and 65% to their salaries, respectively, including the addition of a planning director for the latter.
The assessing department has an assessor and appraiser; the planning department has a director, planner, assistant and a $1,400 stipend for the Planning Board.
The code enforcement department was slashed by 35%, mostly accounted for with the cut of a second code enforcement officer/assessing clerk.
The proposed $2,310,500 budget for capital improvement projects is a nearly 40% increase over this year’s budget of $1.66 million. The $655,000 difference comes from next year’s revaluation costs, renovations to Memorial Field and the purchase of two plow trucks and a sand/salt site.
There will be a public hearing on the budget at the next Town Council meeting on March 9 at 6 p.m.
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