Selectmen Approve Balanced Town Operating Budget

Easton selectmen voted this week to approve a town operating budget of $69,225,287 - a 2.56 percent increase from the prior fiscal year.

The budget will be before Town Meeting voters on May 20.

It is outlined in a memo distributed to selectmen by Town Administrator David Colton, who said he worked with Easton's budget subcommittee to achieve a balanced budget.

The most notable change in the FY14 budget as opposed to the FY13 budget will be the implementation of two new police officers and two new firefighters midway through the year. The half-year funding will allow for flexibility in the first half of the year.

Colton said in his recent memo that a major challenge has been the school department's battle with rising Special Education costs. , largely due to a $350,000 line item for Special Education costs. At an April 26 budget subcommittee meeting, however, Colton said school officials agreed to reduce the line item to $150,000.

School officials will explore various avenues to close the gap, Superintendent Michael Green told selectmen, but the issue could be re-visited at a fall Special Town Meeting.

He said many unforseen circumstances could affect the Special Education budget, including the number of students needing services and the number of students requiring transportation to out of district placements. He said that in the past year, the number of students needing services rose from 38 to 50.

"[We'll be] reducing that line item with the intent that we will be taking a look at Special Eduation and come back to the town at the special town meeting in the fall," Green said.

The reduced line item will result in a $34,823,471 school operating budget - a 3.24 percent increase from FY13.

The School Committee will re-vote its budget at May 17 meeting.

"The most important next step is for the School Committee to complete
its budget process, as the expense projection I have made is contingent on their
further action," Colton wrote in his memo.