No Tax Hike Next Year in Mayor's Plan
Johnston's budget would surpass $90 million, but would not require an increase in the tax rate for homeowners, Mayor Joseph Polisena announced.
Property owners in Johnston would not face a tax increase in fiscal 2013, according to the budget proposed by Mayor Joseph Polisena and scheduled for a hearing before the town council on June 18.
Polisena filed the budget ordinance — a basic overview of revenues and spending — with the town clerk's office on Tuesday.
According to the document, the overall budget for the town would surpass $90 million, about a $1.16 million increase from this year's level, but would not require a hike in the $24.75-per-$1,000 residential property tax rate.
Polisena's budget maintains the same town payment for the school department — $37.13 million, making 2013 the fifth year of level-funding — and includes an increase of $558,000 in state aid, as approved by the General Assembly this week.
The proposed spending plan also assumes increases in medical reimbursement payments ($95,000), rescue services payments ($50,000), and miscellaneous revenues ($355,000) to offset the higher estimated costs.
For the school budget, the new state aid number of $10,639,989 is about $25,000 higher than the one that school committee members built into their budget proposal this spring.
A new schedule included in the state budget for the payments to school districts — which moves September payments to August and April payments to March — is intended to help local departments by providing them the funding earlier.
Here's an overview of the proposed 2012 spending plan and a comparison with the current year's budget:
| Department | FY2012 | FY2013 | Change |
| Town Council | 64,607 | 85,369 | 20,762 |
| Mayor's Office | 196,432 | 198,453 | 2,021 |
| Sr. Center | 221,411 | 221,411 | 0 |
| Town Clerk | 305,198 | 270,477 |
-34,721 |
| Probate Court | 27,796 | 29,758 | 1,962 |
| Finance | 1,010,679 | 947,884 | -62,795 |
| Tax Assessor | 246,304 | 664,584 | 418,280 |
| Bd. Of Assessment | 2,745 | 2,745 | 0 |
| Planning Board | 142,801 | 180,929 | 38,128 |
| Zoning Board | 15,373 | 15,173 | -200 |
| Public Assistance | 3,634 | 3.634 | 0 |
| Human Resources | 54,677 | 63,012 | 8,335 |
| Law Department | 558,714 | 480,438 | - 78,276 |
| Bd. Of Canvassers | 178,153 | 170,484 | -7,669 |
| Library | 621,737 | 648,236 | 26,499 |
| Police Department | 10,915,405 | 11,202,418 | 287,013 |
| Fire Department | 13,182,871 | 13,664,666 | 481,795 |
| Public Works - Admin. | 1,928,074 | 1,873,580 | -54,494 |
| Public Works - Roads | 1,936,002 | 1,817,750 | -118,252 |
| Public Works - Fleet | 383,336 | 386,524 | 3,188 |
| Emergency Mgt. | 5,383 | 5,383 | 0 |
| Inspector's Office | 287,162 | 274,167 | -12,995 |
| Bldg. Maintenance | 379,326 | 259,429 | -119,897 |
| Engineering & Sewers | 176,000 | 153,304 | -22696 |
| Wastewater Mgt. | 18,309 | 18,309 | 0 |
| Land Trust | 7,751 | 7,751 | 0 |
| Municipal Court | 291,054 | 279,475 | -11,579 |
| Parks & Recreation | 1,096,886 | 1,136,114 | 39,228 |
| Debt Service | 4,741,841 | 5,010,193 | 268,352 |
| Gen. Administration | 2,554,859 | 2,087,617 | -467,242 |
| School Department | 37,129,015 | 37,129,015 | 0 |
Note: School department amount represents the town contribution and does not include state aid.
Robert "Bobby" Giarusso
11:40 pm on Thursday, June 14, 2012
The town and school department should share resources and services to improve efficiency. Departments including grounds and maintenance, technology, human resources, business office could all be a join effort between town and school.