Preston — The Board of Selectmen on Thursday approved a tentative $4 million town government budget that includes a $166,000, or 4.3%, increase over this year’s budget, which was mostly flat-funded in the uncertainty of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

First Selectwoman Sandra Allyn-Gauthier said while the board approved the budget Thursday, selectmen are leaving the final figures “open-ended” pending possible significant changes prior to presenting the budget to the Board of Finance by the April 6 deadline.

Allyn-Gauthier said though the 4.3% increase seems high at first, it is partly because some areas in last year's $3.85 million budget were cut significantly and now must be restored. For example, increases in the Public Works Department budget alone represent $78,000 of the $166,123 total budget increase. The board last year cut road paving by $40,000, and this year restored that line item to the usual $90,000 total. Drainage and other road improvements also are planned in the Public Works Department budget.

The board budgeted for $1.5% increases to town employees' salaries — less than most towns in the region and lower than the inflation rate, Allyn-Gauthier said. Health insurance costs are up by 3%, and utilities, workers’ compensation insurance and technology costs all have increases in the budget.

Overall, salary increases total $26,000, and health and pension increases, another $43,000. The rest of the increases are spread out through the budget, Allyn-Gauthier said. 

“As much as you try to control costs, the prices in industry are not conducive to flat budget,” she said.

The budget has no new staffing, avoiding at least for now any changes to the town fire services budget. Fire Chief Tom Casey had urged selectmen to increase paid firefighters in the budget to address a critical shortage in responses to town emergency calls. Casey submitted plans either to hire a second full-time firefighter/EMT at a projected cost of $72,250 for salary and benefits, or to add $50,000 to the budget to hire part-time per diem firefighters to cover more shifts.

Selectmen instead kept the fire staffing the same, incorporating only the $19,378 budget increase that includes the 1.5% salary increases for the chief and the one current full-time firefighter, and other incremental budget increases. The total fire budget is $737,733.

Allyn-Gauthier said fire services options are still under consideration, along with researching possible incentives to boost the number of trained volunteers. Officials hope to learn specifics of the town’s anticipated $456,000 in the new federal American Rescue Plan coronavirus relief package. While that money cannot be used to supplant regular budget spending or cut taxes, town officials are exploring if the funding could be used to increase fire and emergency services, Allyn-Gauthier said.

The Board of Finance could consider the fire services requests, as well.

c.bessette@theday.com