By Carol Britton Meyer

Town Manager Jennifer Constable’s first budget presentation to a joint meeting of the select board and advisory board last week included a rundown of the annual budget framework, revenues and expenditures, and net state aid, among other details.

Capital expense highlights from the fiscal year 2025 draft budget include funds for the closure of the current town hall and relocation of the town offices, and possibly the senior center, to the Memorial School. The middle school is scheduled to close this fall as part of the Hull Public Schools’ consolidation plan; Constable’s budget also envisions maintenance and repairs to that building.

Click here for the town manager’s PowerPoint presentation

Click here for the full budget proposal

The overall proposed town budget, including the schools, totals $50.1 million – an increase of $2,596,531, or 5.46% over FY24’s $47.5M spending plan.

Revenues are expected to increase across the board, with an additional $1,295,340 coming from the tax levy, $71,394 in state aid, and $1,227,098 from increased local receipts such as excise taxes and fees.

The proposed budget includes $17.9 million for the schools, or a 3% increase over the FY24 amount, and a $765,000 capital budget, representing a 41.7% increase over the current year.

Budget objectives revolve around the town’s financial policies and capital improvement plan as well as the long-range financial forecast. Other priorities include asking town meeting to approve the establishment of an opioid settlement special revenue fund resulting from a class-action lawsuit against Big Pharma, a capital stabilization fund, and consistent funding of the general stabilization fund.

“We’ve received $86,000 from the settlement to date,” Constable reported. The town will receive payments over a number of years for the drug settlement.

Projected net state aid is $6.9 million, while local receipts – charges and fees assessed by the town – are estimated at $7.6 million.

“Building permits are going through the roof, which is a great revenue generator for the town,” Constable noted.

Two new firefighter positions anticipated

Operational expenses include four collective bargaining agreements, staff increases – including two new firefighter paramedic/EMT positions and a part-time Hull TV position – and the recent switch to a new legal staff model [town, land use, and labor and employment counsels] in the wake of Town Counsel James Lampke’s retirement at the end of the fiscal year. The law department budget is anticipated to increase from $147,898 to $300,000 as the town shifts away from an individual town counsel to the multi-firm model.

Other capital expenses include a new library boiler, online permitting and general government software, seawall repair and maintenance, and a public safety facilities feasibility study.

Constable reported that the needed ambulance replacement was paid for with a grant rather than coming out of the FY25 budget.

Fiscal 25-26 goals include finalizing the town’s fiscal policies, establishing a capital outlay committee and a capital planning process, and conducting wage and classification studies.

“It’s important that the Town of Hull is a good and competitive employer – able to attract and keep good talent and offering competitive wages,” Constable said.

Next steps include continuing to refine the budget, department budget meetings with the advisory board, finalizing the spending plan, signing of the town meeting warrant by the select board on March 27, and the May 6 annual town meeting, when residents will debate and vote on the budget.

“Clearly this is a well-thought-out presentation, and the planning process that’s going on is amazing from,” advisory board member David Clinton said at last week’s joint session.

Like what you’re reading? Stay informed with a Hull Times subscription by clicking here.

Do you have an opinion on this issue? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.