By James Lomuscio
Westport’s Representative Town Meeting (RTM) tonight unanimously approved an $80,179,853 municipal budget for 2018-19, a .93 percent increase over the current year.
The Board of Finance recommended budget presented by finance board member Sheri Gordon faced no resistance, as it will assure a flat mill rate for the third year in a row — 16.86.
“A stable mill rate gives Westport a competitive advantage,” Gordon said. The finance board will formally set the mill rate on Wednesday, May 16.
At 16.86, Westport’s mill rate would be among the lowest in the state, according to RTM Deputy Moderator Jeff Wieser, chairman of the RTM Finance Committee. Neighboring Weston’s mill rate has been set at 28.91, Wilton’s, 27.77, he said.
“We highly recommend the budget,” said Wieser.
Before the approval, First Selectman Jim Marpe said the budget was the result of “a lot of discipline” and fiscal belt tightening by town department heads.
Gordon said that the town budget combined with the Board of Education’s scheduled to be voted on Tuesday night, would put Westport’s overall budget for the next fiscal year at $208.6 million.
Pensions and OPEB (Other Post Employment Benefits) obligations comprised the lion’s share of the municipal budget at $24,763,580.
Still, the pension budget was 20 percent lower than the current year, OPEB, a negative 4.5 percent.
Combined public safety budgets of police, fire and EMS were the second highest at $21,292,134, and the Department of Public Works followed at $10.43 million. General Government weighed in at only $6.064 million.
In other matters, the RTM unanimously set the following budgets: Railroad Parking Fund at $1.832,990; the Sewer Fund at $4,783,623; and Wakeman Town Farm at $220,728.
