SOUTH HADLEY — Voters in Fire District 2 will be asked to approve a $1,729,147 fire department budget and a $981,128 water budget at their annual meeting May 1.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at 20 Woodbridge St.

Voters will be asked to approve 23 articles, with total proposed spending of $2,710,275.

The budget includes $543,811 for Prudential Committee operations, a 0.28% increase; $775,419 for fire department operations, up by 4.81% or $35,620 from the current year; $324,548 for the operations of the ambulance service, up by 7.94%; and $872,090 for the water department, an increase of $51,574, or 6.28%.

Debt service articles account for the remaining expenditures.

The proposed tax levy of $1,376,159 would be an increase of 4.45%, according to preliminary figures provided by Clerk/Treasurer Barbara Miller. Water department surplus funds in the amount of $195,300, $102,198 in free cash and $66,189 in other available funds would be used to bolster revenues, though Miller noted that some of those numbers are subject to change.

— JAMES PENTLAND

 

]]>