Lyme residents unanimously approve 2016-17 budget at town meeting
Lyme — About 30 residents unanimously approved a 2016-17 budget of $11,368,907 at the town's annual budget meeting on Thursday.
The Board of Finance set the tax rate for 2016-17 at 18.25 mills — a 0.5 mill increase over the current rate — at a special meeting following the town meeting.
The overall budget, including both capital and operating expenses, represents a 12.7 percent increase over the 2015-16 budget.
Capital expenses include about $1 million to convert the town's landfill into a transfer station. A $650,000 state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection grant would pay for most of the project, while the remainder would be paid through the capital nonrecurring fund, First Selectman Ralph Eno said.
He said there will be no immediate impact to the taxpayers, as the town has saved incrementally over the past fiscal years.
The town also plans to use capital nonrecurring reserves to purchase a new dump truck and pay for half of a new pumper truck for the fire company, he said.
The remainder of the fire truck will be financed over three years, beginning in fiscal year 2017-18.
The conversion of the landfill into a transfer station will result in an increase in operating costs in the landfill budget. The spending plan also includes corresponding estimates for revenue as the town begins charging people to dispose of bulky waste, which hopefully be done through the permit process, Eno said.
The town's share of the Lyme-Old Lyme Schools budget for 2016-17 is $6,727,035, about a 2.55 percent increase over the town's current share.
Eno said the spending plan assumes zero in Education Cost Sharing and payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) funds from the state, given the likelihood of cuts in the future.
He said that while the state budget currently includes some ECS funding for Lyme, in a reduced amount, the governor has been given the discretion to make some cuts if the state budget starts "running in the red."
After residents listened to the budget presentation and asked some questions, they voted in favor of it.
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