Vassalboro residents can vote Monday on the town’s $4.3 million municipal and county budget proposal. Here’s what to know now.

Where the budget committee and select board differ

The budget committee is proposing a $4,291,035 budget to cover all municipal and county costs. The select board’s proposal is $45,000 higher. Here’s why.

Article 5 of the town meeting warrant proposes borrowing money to buy a plow truck and paying off the loan over four years. If it doesn’t pass, the town will need to make repairs on its existing truck.

If voters shoot down Article 5, the select board is recommending spending $30,000 more on public works than the budget committee is.

Peggy Schaffer, budget committee chair, said in the past the town has avoided borrowing money, preferring to save for big purchases.

However, given that a small truck the town owns needs at least $30,000 in maintenance costs, the town decided to consider it.

Schaffer said if the town saves for a new truck, there’s no guarantee it would pay less than the cost of the loan including interest.

The select board agrees it would be best for the town to borrow the money, and if Article 5 passes, she said, the select board will move to vote on the budget committee’s recommendation.

The same is true of a $50,000 select board recommendation under Article 8 — if Article 5 passes, the board will seek a reduction.

The select board and budget committee also differ on recommended spending for first responders. The select board’s proposal of $23,343 is $5,000 higher than the budget committee’s recommendation.

Vassalboro’s volunteer fire department has relied on a grant, which allowed them to station a volunteer at the fire department one day a week. It did not receive the grant this year, and asked the town to step in.

Schaffer said the budget committee researched this and did not find a significant benefit to having one volunteer at the station once a week.

“When we decided to fund them, they were very clear that they were going to operate out of their homes,” Schaffer said. “It was really truly a volunteer service.”

The budget committee decided not to recommend funding the service, but the select board, Schaffer said, thinks it’s a good idea.

How the budget will impact taxes

The select board is proposing a $4,336,035 spending plan,which includes raising and appropriating $672,473 for the Kennebec County assessment and the ambulance service cost of $265,140.

For this municipal and county total, just over 52% would be funded by property taxes under the select board’s recommendation, and just under 52% if the budget committee’s recommendation passes. Taxpayers will be asked to raise $10,934,950.95 for the school budget, a 5% increase on the current budget.

Town Manager Aaron Miller said that, although the town will not commit taxes until later, this could bring the town’s tax rate to $12.82 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, a 9% increase on the current mill rate of $11.74 per $1,000.

If the budget committee’s recommendation passes, the mill rate could increase to $12.80 per $1,000.

A mill rate of $12.82 per $1,000 of assessed valuation would mean property tax on a $300,000 house would be $3,846 annually, $324 more than under the current mill rate.

Other spending

Some of the bigger spending items on Vassalboro’s budget come from employees: salaries, insurance and benefits all increase yearly.

Other costly items will go before voters.

The Dunlap Bridge on Mill Hill Road needs a lot of work, and while town officials have been saving money to pay for repairs, the select board wants to be prepared in case of emergency. Article 9 asks that the select board be allowed to set aside up to $125,000 in its undesignated fund for emergency bridge repair and replacement.

Decreased costs include the paving budget, which is $6,200 lower than it was last year, and despite the high cost of fuel, the town’s vehicle fuel expenses did not increase.

Vassalboro’s town meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday at 1116 Webber Pond Road.