By Vicki Greene, Contributing Writer
MARLBOROUGH — During a tough year for local economies, Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant took a conservative budgeting approach, recommending a $173.4 million city budget for the 2022 fiscal year (FY).
School Department accounts for portion of city budget
The Marlborough School Department budget makes up just over 50 percent of the Mayor’s recommendation, as it has in past years. The School Committee approved the district’s budget last month with a net zero increase and a total price tag of $66.6 million for FY 2022.
“Superintendent Bergeron and his administration repurposed personnel, consolidated curriculum materials and reprioritized funds to meet contractual obligations,” Vigeant, who by charter, is also the Chair of the School Committee, noted in a May 6 letter to the City Council.
The total for the schools in the city budget is down approximately one percent over FY 21 at $91.4 million. This total includes the public school budget, various line item budgets and the city’s contribution to Assabet Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, which totals approximately $5.7 million, an increase of two percent over FY 2021.
Vigeant mindful of tax increases
A rise in residential property values means increased assessments in the fall for FY 2022.
However, Vigeant said he “anticipates new growth for FY 2022 will add an additional $2 million in tax revenue that will [ultimately] help stabilize the tax rate for residents.”
During the tax classification hearings for this current year, data showed that Marlborough had the lowest residential tax rate of any neighboring town.
At that time, Vigeant highlighted the fact that the FY 2021 residential and commercial tax rates “are the lowest over the last 10 years.”
Budget lays out department and capital projects
The mayor’s budget details a number of projects undertaken by Marlborough’s various city departments and services.
The Marlborough Public Library has moved to make way for a major demolition and renovation project.
That project “will be going out to bid for general contracting services” this month Vigeant outlined in his letter to the City Council.
The Department of Public Works (DPW), according to Vigeant, will continue with current infrastructure improvements including work on Donald Lynch Boulevard and utilities improvements on Lincoln Street.
The DPW will also work on the third phase of the city’s lead service replacement. Current road resurfacing and reconstruction of streets will continue.
To fund that, the city is “borrowing $2 million of the remaining portion of the $5 million bond that was authorized four years ago for the lead service replacement project” Vigeant said.
No additional capital projects are planned other than a series of roadwork efforts that the council approved back in February.
Meanwhile, a training program focused on online security is continuing for the city.
Vigeant said this is required due to an increase in ransomware attacks in communities across the state and the country.
Local aid from the state still an estimate
When Vigeant wrote that letter on May 6, the state’s House’s proposed budget indicated that overall local aid to Marlborough would increase by approximately $426,000.
However, the state budget process is not finalized. As of May 11, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means made its recommendation, which then went to the full state Senate for debate.
From there, the proposed budget will go to a conference committee made up of members of both the House and the Senate to iron out differences between the Senate and the House budgets.
Then a vote will be taken on final budget recommendations and budget will go to the Governor, who will have ten days to approve or veto specific line items before a final budget is agreed upon.
City Council to move forward on budget
Locally, the City Council’s Finance Committee reviewed and discussed Vigeant’s city budget at its Finance Committee meeting on May 17. The mayor’s budget is posted online at marlborough-MA.gov.
The public will get a chance to weigh in at a scheduled public hearing on Tuesday, May 25.
