News About Town: We’ve been talking a lot about the town budget lately. Tonight is your chance to give the Board of Commissioners input. No need to sign up to speak, the public hearing is built into the Board of Commissioners meeting.
If you're interested in a comparison of numbers from the 2019/20 budget, view that here. To hear the budget discussion between the Board and Town Manager, click here.
Changes include:
Governing Board has a recommended additional $25,000 for legal fees. The total suggested increase is $26,605.
Town Manager suggested increase is $37,963.
Human Resources includes overall suggested increase of $128,582.
IT and Finance Departments both are recommended to receive lower amounts this budget from the last (-$81,387 and -$14,254 respectively).
Safety/Risk Management has a recommended budget increase of $54,802, mostly due to an increase in Worker’s Comp Premiums and a slight increase for full-time wages.
Police Office of the Chief has a recommended budget increase by $91,504 (increasing full-time and overtime wages as well as retirement contributions). Last year the Police Patrol Division had a budget of $3,301,834 ; this year the recommended budget is $3,350,302. Police Criminal Investigations received $1,075,485 last year. The FY 19/20 recommendation is $1,143,888.
The Fire Department has a recommended increase of $329,171, largely due to an increase in salary and benefit line items as they transition to a full-time department from volunteer.
Cultural Arts, Special Events, Rec Centers, Landscape, and Sanitation have recommended higher budgets. Police Admin and Telecommunications, Streets and Sidewalks, and Planning have a lower recommended budget than FY 18/19.
One Fun Thing: Reader Sandy Wilkinson has the goods on what’s going on at McDowell Arts Center. From Sandy, “Only one more week to enjoy the art show at the McDowell Art Gallery featuring works done by Matthews Artists Guild and Crown Point Elementary school art students. If you've never been to McDowell, stop by the art show upstairs and the working area downstairs to see work in progress. Many youngsters are signing up for art camp this summer. Veterans are welcome to create art weekly. Those who enjoy knitting and crocheting meet every other Tuesday evening, open to everyone. Many other programs and information are available at the Mathews Community Center. Don’t be shy...give it a try!”