Stonington ― The Board of Finance began budget meetings Tuesday for the proposed 2024-25 town budget that calls for a 12.44% increase in spending.

If approved, the $8.8 million increase would raise the tax rate to 19.45 mills to pay for the $86.8 million budget. The current tax rate is 17.45 mills.

“Everybody tried to put in as lean as possible operating budgets,” said First Selectman Danielle Chesebrough, when reached by phone Thursday. “We wanted to present a very honest capital improvement program budget, so that way the public and everyone can see what we’re up against over the next few years.”

Proposed Capital Improvement Project spending comprises $7.3 million of the proposed budget, more than double the $3.7 million approved in the current budget.

Chesebrough noted more than $6.8 million in cuts the Board of Selectmen made to capital improvement requests earlier this month. She said the Board of Finance would have to make further cuts and decide what expenditures could be postponed or potentially funded through future bonding requests.

“We understand some things will have to be put off and some hard cuts will have to be made, but I think it will be a good conversation,” she said.

Many of the cost increases in the general budget were related to contractual obligations, technology related costs and inflation increases for supplies, but others were due to increased demand for town services.

The finance board heard from the Department of Human Services and outside agencies at the meeting, and the common thread was the need for additional resources due to rising costs and rising needs in the area.

Department requests show an increase of $28,000 over the current year, and $47,000 in increases in funding for outside agencies and libraries add an additional $888,000 to the department’s budget request for a $1.7 million total department request.

Leanne Theodore, director of human services, and representatives from area human service organizations, told finance board members that food insecurity among seniors and children, homelessness and mental health needs are just a few areas in which demands for services have increased dramatically.

“Primarily with social services, things have felt very heavy,” Theodore said about the level of need the department has seen over the last year.

She also noted that the department’s community outreach program, which handles the most critical social service cases including mental health crises, substance abuse issues, domestic violence and homelessness among others, is making a difference in the community, but faces obstacles.

The program specialist must be accompanied by a police officer on home visits to the 66 households the program is currently serving. Though the police department and human services work collaboratively, officer availability is limited to four shifts per month leaving the program’s team to make difficult choices about which household to serve each week.

In a related change, Chesebrough sent a letter to the finance board Wednesday asking for support for a new Community Outreach Officer position at the police department. The officer would reduce the burden on current human services and police department staff while allowing community members in need to be served more effectively.

The position is estimated to cost $81,000 in the first year and $116,000 in the second year and was not yet included in the proposed budget available Thursday.

“By creating a full-time position, Stonington can continue to lead the way in a positive, proactive partnership to support residents in need of greater focus,” she wrote.

In a memo, Police Chief Jay DelGrosso wrote that the cooperative program has proven to reduce mental health related calls to the department, and he believes a full-time position is needed, but upcoming retirements, staffing shortages and nationwide recruitment issues mean the department cannot support the program further without adding a new position.

The Building Department also has seen an increase in service demands with significant increases in permitting and inspections in recent years, The department requested an additional $78,000 to fund the addition of a second assistant building inspector to handle the increased workload and reduce reliance on outside consultants.

A 533% increase to the Emergency Management budget represents a shift in department responsibilities among other changes. Police Department Captain Bryan Schneider is currently the director of emergency management. The new budget transfers half of Schneider’s salary, $65,111, from the police budget to the emergency management budget.

The Board of Finance will begin deliberations March 7 and hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. March 26 at the high school.

Residents will vote at a referendum later this spring on whether to approve the final budget.

The full proposed budget is available on the town website.