SAUGUS — The Finance Committee convened Wednesday evening to review the proposed Department of Public Works fiscal year 2024 budget. The budget encompasses the Cemetery Department, Parks Department, and the Forestry Department, as well as the water and sewer enterprise funds.
The department’s total request sits at $6.7 million for FY24, an increase of roughly $500,000 from the prior fiscal year. Town Manager Scott Crabtree’s recommendation is just $45,000 less than what the department is asking for.
The combined price tags for the enterprise funds sits at $14.8 million, with the water enterprise fund sitting at $8.5 million and the sewer enterprise fund at $6.3 million. Crabtree’s recommendations for the funds are slightly lower, with a difference of approximately $50,000.
Crabtree said the department is one of the town offices that most directly impacts the residents, adding that the results of funding department requests can typically be seen immediately.
“When the departments request stuff, this is stuff that goes directly to the residents in delivery of services,” he said. “The money goes directly to delivering services and satisfying residents.”
Committee members had few questions as they scanned the budgets. The little discussion there was centered on disparities between the departments’ recommendations and Crabtree’s recommendations for the line items where Crabtree’s figure was higher than that of the department. Crabtree and town Treasurer/Collector Wendy Hatch explained that the difference could come from more detailed projections of potential cost increases throughout the year being done on the town’s side.
“We look at a higher level of detail in step increases and dates that those go into effect,” Hatch said.
In addition to reviewing salaries, the committee scanned the proposed expenses for each department.
As part of their weekly budget review process ahead of Annual Town Meeting slated for May 1, the committee will take up the budgets for town boards and other departments on April 5.
