Pepperell Selectmen Defer $24.2 Million Budget Vote to February 27

PEPPERELL — January 30, 2017 — Pepperell selectmen defer vote on $24.2 million FY2018 budget, citing incomplete school assessment. The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously at its January 30 joint meeting with the Finance Committee to postpone final budget action to February 27, allowing time for the North Middlesex Regional School District to deliver its assessment — currently a placeholder in the spending plan. Town Administrator Mark Vasbopoli presented a balanced proposed budget of $24,192,874 that includes a $235,470 capital plan, funding for a new full-time police officer at just over $80,000 all-in, $41,600 in per diem fire coverage, and a $20,281 upgrade to a full-time building inspector. The budget faces a 16.01 percent pension cost increase and projected double-digit health care cost growth as its two largest pressure points. Finance Committee member John Loddick pushed back on a 6.5 percent aggregate department spending increase, arguing the CPI-based case for holding the effective tax increase to 1.7 percent, while member Robin Rose Buxton questioned whether some departments had requested more than they truly needed. The board also unanimously appointed architect Paul "Joe" Lonergan Jr. as a Planning Board associate member, adopted an anti-discrimination and harassment policy, and tabled a letter-of-support request for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, with members saying they wanted a campaign representative to appear in person before lending the town's name.