MONMOUTH — Town officials say the impact of inflation caused them to cut key proposals and initiatives from the town’s $4.5 million budget.

The spending plan, which residents approved at the polls last week, is up $530,000 from last year, the majority of which is to cover increasing wages and other costs to retain employees, even as skyrocketing prices have driven up expenses, according to Town Manager Justin Poirier.

“Union labor contract raises and the cost of fuel and supplies … drove the budget increase,” Poirier said.

Poirier said inflation-driven costs have limited the town’s ability to undertake many proposals, resulting in only a few items on the ballot.

“We took a lot of capital out. We also didn’t budget anything for paving for the next year,” Poirier said. “We had to cut a lot of such initiatives to try and do the best we can with the tax rate, but it is hard this year due to inflation.”

One proposal that had to be omitted aimed to increase the police presence in the area and add an extra officer to the force. Another proposal to build a standard salt shed was also removed.

“It’s a bitter pill to swallow, and that is why we don’t have any new initiatives,” Select Board member Kent Ackley said. “A better way of saying this is, ‘We didn’t say ‘no,’ we said ‘not yet.’

“We were trying to hold off on any new spending priorities until we had a chance to take care of the basic operating functions of the town. We will certainly take a second look at things next year.”

The solar ordinance, which ensures regulation of any solar projects that Monmouth undertakes, was one of the few items included on the ballot. Residents approved minor technical changes to the ordinance to make the result of a solar project more predictable.

Voters also approved allowing town officials to take $200,000 from the unassigned fund balance to pay for the town’s revaluation. Monmouth had its last revaluation in 2007, and had a statistical update in 2012.

“Due to the increase in the property value that happened so dramatically through the COVID-19 pandemic,” Poirier said, “our property ratio has fallen below the mark, so we need to have a revaluation to lift those numbers again.”

Town officials seek to have the revaluation completed before July 1, 2025.

Voters also approved borrowing funds to repair the Cochnewagon Dam, after water levels had to be lowered last year due to concerns about the dam’s condition.

Residents also backed repairs to Beaver Brook Bridge.

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