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Kent budget proposals get initial look

KENT — On schedule with the annual budget process, the Board of Finance received the drafted 2023-24 town expenditure budget from the Board of Selectmen at the finance board’s regular meeting on Wednesday, March 22. Residents attending in person at the Kent Town Hall numbered 25, with more looking in on Zoom.

Weeks of scrutiny of the town’s projected expenses for the coming year went into preparing the budget proposal that totals $14,810,424, including the $7,248,000 requested by the Board of Education (48% of the total).

As proposed, the expense budget submitted by the Board of Selectmen totals $4,947,668, up from the current year level of $4,573,675, or a rise of $373,994 (8.15%).

First Selectman Jean Speck reviewed the details of the town’s budget, highlighting what she termed “drivers.” Salary increases for town employees the coming year are firm at 4% across the board, there having been no approval of individual requests for higher increase.

Areas seeing increase include the Registrar of Voters office, requesting $9,000 to purchase a fireproof file, a postage meter in the assessor’s office to be shared among other town offices, and new permitting software within the Planning and Zoning office, sharing that expense with the office of the Building Official.

Increased usage and programming within the Senior Center brought an increase in operating costs.

Grants to various local organizations were assisted for the coming year by federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, according to the budget documents, resulting in some savings for the selectmen’s budget proposal.

The proposed town budget for 2023-24 can be viewed on the town website at www.townofkentct.org.

The finance board discussed but did not set a date for another workshop meeting. The public hearing date is Friday, May 5.

Leila Hawken

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