LEVERETT — Town officials are trying to find ways to reduce proposed spending on school and town services before bringing a total municipal budget of around $7.9 million to residents at annual Town Meeting on May 3.

More than a month before Town Meeting, the Select Board and Finance Committee, joined by school officials and department heads, held a hearing Tuesday focused on the spending plan that currently would have a 5.3%, or $393,711, increase over this year’s $7.5 million budget.

The biggest unknown is the assessment the town will have to pay to the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools, with projections for that to be set at $1.74 million, a 6.5%, $106,174 increase, over this year’s $1.63 million assessment But with the Amherst Town Council this week rejecting an alternative method for calculating the assessments, Leverett could be responsible for a higher amount.

The town School Committee, meanwhile, recently settled a contract with the Leverett Education Association that calls for for 4% cost-of-living adjustments with educators for each of the next three years. The budget for the Leverett Elementary School will increase by 5%, a $111,459 hike from $2.25 million to $2.36 million.

There are concerns around the overall 5.3% increase that would cause the tax rate to go up from $15.18 per $1,000 valuation to $16.09 per $1,000 valuation, and a homeowner at a $300,000 home facing a tax bill increase of $272, from $1,560 this year.

“This is a big increase,” said Finance Committee Chairman Phil Carter, who suggested trying to get the overall budget increase down to 5% by removing $19,000 in spending. This would include removing $1,500 from the $55,831 in Fire Department expenses and only increasing the stabilization account, used to fund the capital plan, by $10,000, rather than $20,000, bringing that account from $205,000 to $215,000.

The Finance Committee also may ask the elementary school to apply $7,500 from its declining school choice account. “I think the rainy day may really be here,” Carter said.

The committees also discussed  whether to eliminate $17,139 for a part-time laborer for the Highway Department and not contract with the Franklin County sheriff’s office for animal control duties, with that spending going up by $2,854 to $6,629. Finance Committee member Isaiah Robison suggested this could be done in house, though Select Board Chairman Tom Hankinson said elected officials would likely be burdened should there be a dog hearing.

Among other new initiatives in the budget are adding $6,229 to the salaries for Council on Aging staff, increasing those to $10,440 to create a part-time community and events coordinator position, and adding $300 to Town Meeting expenses, bringing that line item to $500 and covering child care and a sound system. 

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.