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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On February 2, the Town Administrator, James A. Johnson, presented Walpole’s town budget for the 2018 Fiscal Year. The plan “focuses on meeting the needs of the Town in terms of local services while also balancing the cost to the community’s taxpayers.”
For the Fiscal Year 2018, the data used is the best estimate at the time of the presentation with the information available. During the Spring Town Meeting in May, the Board of Selectman, School Committee and Finance Committee will most likely make a few changes due to the changes in formation. This message was a starting point, whereas the Spring Meeting will be a more definitive view of the budget.
The major areas of focus this year were to keep Walpole financially sound, keep the community safe, support public education, improve economic development, and maintain the quality of life for Walpole residents. Overall, the Total Projected Revenue in FY2018 is $88,101,215, whereas expenditures are anticipated at $86,195,419. Currently, the Police and Fire station projects are underway, the South Street Center design is almost complete, and the South Street Superfund cleanup remains on task. There are a variety of development projects underway which demonstrate the growth in Walpole including, but not limited to, the Fairfield Inn Project on Route One, Siemens Expansion Project, Liberty Village, and Age Qualified Village.
Public safety is not only the first responsibility of the government, but also one of the most important to citizens. Two new police officers were added to the budget last year, totaling 42 sworn officers within the Walpole Police Department. “This is the most full-time police officers in recorded history,” Johnson said. Last year, two new firefighter positions were also allowed in the budget, and once again, this will be possible during FY2018. This will allow all four firefighter groups to increase to nine firefighters per group.
“Since taking over as the Town Administrator, one of my personal goals has to been to continue to support quality education here in Walpole,” Johnson said. This year, there will be a 2.7 percent increase in the school’s budget from last year, which will enable the continuation of excellent education to the children of Walpole.
“The FY2018 Capital Budget is lean with little to no frills,” Johnson explained. “I believe that this fiscal plan represents Walpole’s best collective effort to meet the diverse needs of our community.”
