Oxford Town Meeting Monday to Set Vote on 3.6 Percent Increase

Oxford residents and property owners are called to the annual Town Meeting Monday to set the date of the 2014-15 budget referendum, tentatively set for Tuesday, May 13.

Those in attendance can also move to reduce the budget by a majority vote.

The Town Meeting is set to begin at 7 p.m. Monday at Quaker Farms School.

The agenda includes three questions, with each approval sending the item to the town wide referendum. (See the breakdown below.)

Overall, the budget proposal of $43,922,389 includes an increase of $1,535,286 in spending year-over-year (3.6 percent) and 3.39 percent increase in the mill rate, from 24.75 to 25.59. Download a copy of the proposed budget above.

Approval at the Town Meeting on Monday will adjourn these questions to the May 13 referendum, to be held form 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Quaker Farms School.

Absentee ballots will also be available at the Town Clerk’s Office.

Item 1
Shall the Town of Oxford approve the Town’s Municipal Annual Budget for Fiscal Year 2014-2015?

The proposed municipal budget of $15,039,596 is an increase of $435,286 in spending over the current year, up 2.98 percent.

Item 2
Shall the Town of Oxford approve the Town’s Board of Education Annual Budget for Fiscal Year 2014-2015?

The education budget includes a 3.68 percent spending increase, exactly $1 million over 2013-14 for a total of $28,148,793.

Item 3
Shall the Town of Oxford approve a levy for road projects for the benefit of the Reserve Fund for Capital and Nonrecurring Expenditures for the Fiscal Year 2014-2015?

The Capital and Nonrecurring Expenditures line is up $100,000 in this year’s budget proposal, from $634,000 last year to $734,000 for 2014-15.