Georgetown residents will vote on a $1.68 million municipal spending plan, down 6% from last year’s, at the annual town meeting Saturday.
While municipal spending is down just over $108,000 from last year, town officials don’t yet know how that reduction will impact the tax rate, according to Select Board Chair Richard Donaldson.
Georgetown’s current property tax rate is $8.10 per $1,000 of value, meaning a home valued at $200,000 gets an $1,620 tax bill.
A new property tax rate will be set in the fall after an assessor calculates the rate based on the municipal, county and school budgets.
The drop in municipal spending stems from a $120,000 decrease in the town’s general government account. The town had previously budgeted that amount last year to cover the cost of purchasing Todd’s Landing, a public boat launch. The town doesn’t need to set aside those expenses this year.
There’s a $103,000 reduction in the town roads account, according to budget documents. Donaldson said the town previously set that money aside to resurface town roads that need it, but not as many repairs are needed this year.
One of the major drivers of the proposed budget is a $100,000 request to repair the First Baptist Church. The town in 2006 acquired the church, which has sat unused since. Donaldson said the town plans to make it a future meeting place.
Residents will also vote on the proposed $2.57 million school budget, up around $30,000, or 1.2%, from last year, according to budget documents. That increase is driven mainly by a nearly $25,000 increase in the funding for special education instruction and a roughly $11,000 rise in student and staff support costs.
The annual town meeting will take place on Saturday, June 26, at 10 a.m. behind Georgetown Central School on Bay Point Road.
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