Town Administrator's FY19-20 General Fund Recommended Budget

Budget Highlights 
In terms of overall service and personnel levels, the recommended FY20 budget is consistent with the FY19 budget with a few exceptions as follows: 

• The Board of Public Works, the Police Department and the Fire Department have all identified a significant need to modernize the vehicle maintenance operation given the introduction of computer technology into today's cars and trucks. To that end, this budget recommends the hiring of a qualified Garage Superintendent at a salary of $65,479 and the purchasing of a modern diagnostic computer. Since it is anticipated that much of the auto repair work currently being contracted out will now be brought in house, 50% of the Garage Superintendent Salary will be offset by reductions in department vehicle maintenance accounts and increases in indirect costs from the water and sewer enterprise fund.
• So as to provide a greater focus on solid waste costs in the budget, the various solid waste expenses previously contained in the Board of Health and BPW Highway budgets have been consolidated into a new department line item called Sanitation. These expenses included $600,000 for curbside trash collection,$351,650 for disposal at SEMASS, $273,020 for curbside collection and processing of recycled material, and smaller amounts for hazardous material collection day, landfill maintenance and the recycling center'. The total recommended Sanitation Budget for FY20 is $1.3 million dollars or 2.6% of the general fund operating budget.
• The Fairhaven Public Schools presented various budget options depending upon levels of service and Chapter 70 funding scenarios. This budget recommends a school budget of $21,082,516 or 3.4% over FY19 levels. There is substantial uncertainty regarding school funding this year as the state legislature and Governor consider changes to the school funding formula. As additional information as to what those changes will be comes forward, this budget line item may have to be revisited.
• The Consolidated Information Technology Department has two new initiatives, the upgrading of the Asssessor's software program which has not been updated in over 10 years and the purchasing of new software to allow for integrated on-line permitting software. It is proposed that building fees be increased

Read the complete Recommended Budget here.