The Board of Selectmen are planning four meetings before early February for handling review, deliberation and endorsement of the municipal side of the 2016-17 budget. That portion of the overall spending plan includes all debt service on capital borrowing, including for all bonded school district projects.

At a regular meeting December 7, First Selectman Pat Llodra asked Selectmen Will Rodgers and Herb Rosenthal to expect visits with various department heads and discussions to begin January 19, and continue January 25, 28, and to hopefully conclude on February 1.

She said the budget proposal is required by charter to be in the Board of Finance’s hands by February 14, but she hopes to have an approved draft completed by the 9th.

During a combined meeting of the Boards of Selectmen, Finance, Education and the Legislative Council December 2, Mrs Llodra and Finance Director Robert Tait presented a preliminary budget overview that suggests a budget increase of 2.37 percent. But Mrs Llodra told The Bee the goal is always to minimize increases, and she will seek to accomplish that as she and Mr Tait meet with department heads between now and January 19.

The spreadsheet she provided at the December 2 meeting illustrates key points and anticipated increases in next year’s spending plan including:

*Overall wage and salary increases of $336,413 – up 2.87 percent

*Fringe benefit increases of $475,184 ­– up 9.56 percent

*Health insurance increases totaling $60,000 – up 5.77 percent

*Operating expense increase totaling $30,195 – up 0.41 percent

*A contingency increase of $28,945 – up 16.9 percent

*Contributions to town/other agencies of $35,410 – up 1.67 percent

The document explains that the marked increase in fringe benefit costs are resulting from a ten percent increase to the town’s self-insured medical plan and increased pension contributions (20 percent). While increased claims are driving the insurance fund hike, recently adjusted mortality tables are increasing participant life spans generating greater pension benefit payments, Mrs Llodra told The Bee.

Additional insurance costs borne by the town which provides benefits for agencies like the Health District, the CH Booth Library, and the Edmond Town Hall staff are driving that line’s modest increase.

Other insurance increases are attributed to an anticipated five percent increase in general liability and worker’s compensation costs.

A planned $250,000 increase in bonding for road improvements and a modest $40,000 allocation to the town’s capital non-recurring fund are driving the anticipated capital increase.

A total preliminary municipal services increase of 4.19 percent is being reduced to 2.37 percent because of a drop in capital borrowing costs of $305,113 (3.02 percent).

In the unlikely event all projections remain unchanged, the current town-side budget of $40,142,567 will increase by $802,535 — to $40,0945,102.

Mrs Llodra, who attended a special session of the state Legislature December 8, previously warned officials at the budget planning session a week earlier that state reimbursements are likely to drop. She added that while there is no clarity about which state reimbursements might drop in the future, the town has already learned it is losing about $160,000 in the current fiscal cycle.