Monadnock Ledger-Transcript – Francestown departments present budget proposals

The Francestown library, cemetery commission, Police Department, Fire Department and Recreation Department all have all recently presented their estimated 2025 budgets to the Budget Committee and the Select Board.

John Ludlam, chair of the trustees of George Holmes Memorial Bixby Library, said that circulation and attendance are way up at the library, and credited the new library director, Beth Crooker, for her work.

“We want the library to be the center of the town in terms of community, and the only way we will become that is by reaching out to everyone. A lot of people in town are not aware of what the library has to offer,” Ludlam said. 

The library’s total estimated budget request for 2025 is $128,820, or an increase of 11.37%. Ludlam said the library is asking for four more hours of staffing a week to accommodate the increase in workload. 

Pam Finnell, tax collector and town clerk, reported a minor increase in costs to the town due to software licensing increased in costs for required training, including conference costs. Overall, the department requested a 0.02% increase. 

Gary Paige of  the Francestown DPW said the department is budgeting $10,500.73 lower than the current year due to savings in tree-trimming and fuel costs. Tpwn Administrator Jamie Pike said the town had switched to a new bulk fuel supplier, Dennis Burke, which provided “significant savings.” 

The total estimated budget for highway administration, highways, streets and bridges is $601,456.27, with $276,156.27 designated for highway administration and $325,300 for highways, streets and bridges.

Xem thêm : Global Accounting & Budgeting Software Market Size, Share

Recreation Commission Chair Bob Bitterli reported that Francestown recreation programs generated revenue for the town  in 2024, and said the department “stayed in budget or were under budget.” Bitterli requested that the town keep $4,200 in the Recreation budget going forward in case it needs a to provide a stipend to a coordinator at some point. 

Capt. Celeste Lunetta presented the Fire Department budget, which is estimated for an increase 3.31% to $98,515.  Lunetta said the department’s new stipend payouts, which “are now based on responsibility versus time in service,” represented the biggest change to in the Fire Department budget.  Other estimated increases in Fire Department expenses include higher costs for supplies.  

Police Chief Fred Douglas said challenges in staffing accounted for changes in the estimated budget. 

“We have struggles this year with having part-time officers fill hours, and we’ve had the problem the past couple years,” Douglas said. “It’s very hard for the part-time officers to get the training completed . We had a training last night, but two of my officers could not make it because they have full-time jobs. ” 

Douglas said the lack of  candidates for law enforcement positions is a statewide problem.