Town Hall expenses, salaries face scrutiny

The Budget Committee begins Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Budget Committee members will be going over the town’s General Government budget tomorrow night with an eye toward trimming whatever fat might be there in anticipation of shrinking state aid during the next two years.

Nancy Neubert, Budget Committee chairman, said the board would be looking closely at all the line items, especially those that carry a significant percentage increase.

The budget forwarded to the committee by selectmen represents a roughly 2 percent increase over last year’s $287,298 amount at $293,262.

Regular wages is one of the largest single increases, reflecting a 9 percent hike in salaries paid to municipal workers, including selectmen.

Incidental expenses like utilities and supplies all remained fairly even, with website expenses being one of the few line items facing a large increase, going from $1,800 to $2,800.

The Animal Control portion of the budget increased about 17 percent, mostly due to salaries, travel expense and contract shelter fees.

The Budget Committee meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Offices on Upper Guinea Road.