Voters will decide Barrington budgets tonight

Barrington officials will begin registering people for the May 24 financial town meeting at 6 p.m. at the high school. The meeting is slated to start at 7 p.m.

According to an email from Barrington Town Moderator Julia Califano, the meeting will be continued to Thursday night, May 25, if the work of finalizing the budgets is not completed on Wednesday night.

"Tablets will be used for registration and bringing a driver's license is recommended, but the checkers have been trained to handle those registering with other IDs or no ID," said Ms. Califano.

"The meeting will be in the gym this time (capacity 1,200) with visitors and overflow in the auditorium (capacity 700). We are trying very hard to accommodate as many as the fire department will allow."

Budget numbers

• Current municipal operating budget: $15.8 million

• Recommended increase: $269,885

• Current school operating budget: $47.9 million

• Recommended increase: $800,000

• School's initial increase request: $1.2 million

• Current tax rate: $18.45 per thousand

• Current tax levy: $58,548,512

The budget process, in review

• In the beginning: The town manager and the superintendent work within their departments to draft proposed budgets. The school department's budget is due the first Monday in March and the town manager's is due on the second Monday in March.

• The review: Members of the town council (municipal budget) and school committee (school district budget) review the proposed budgets and then hand-off to members of the committee on appropriations. The COA meets regularly and speaks with a variety of town officials during their review. 

• The first vote: The COA initially voted 4-1 to recommend no increase to the current school budget and an approximate $269,000 increase to the municipal budget. (The $269,000 is for the addition of four new firefighter positions.)

• Budget hearing: A crowd of more than 400 people attended the budget hearing at Barrington High School on May 10 and commented on various aspects of the budget. 

• A second vote: The committee on appropriations met Tuesday, May 16 and voted 3-2 to give the school department an $800,000 increase. 

• Amendments filed: Residents have also filed motions to change the budgets. Most recently, a resident filed a motion to add $402, 448 back into the school budget.

• The FTM vote: Local taxpayers will vote on the proposed budgets and amendments at the May 24 FTM at Barrington High School. The budget votes will determine the town's tax rate for the upcoming year.