Bristol property taxes will rise by about 1 percent after the Bristol Town Council approved Town Administrator Steven Contente’s fiscal 2018 budget last Wednesday night.

The town’s spending plan will increase by about $700,000 — or 1.29 percent — over fiscal 2017, for a total of $54.3 million. That will result in a 20-cent increase in the property tax rate to $14.97 per thousand dollars of taxable value. The average $300,000 home in Bristol would carry an annual tax bill of $4,491.

“That is a very conservative increase. I want to show we are being very fiscally responsible,” Mr. Contente has said. “I listened very carefully to the need to hold the line on our tax rate. I know where we can cut and still maintain public safety, our infrastructure and a mederate increase in spending to education at an affordable amount to our homeowners.”

Separate from the tax rate is the enterprise sewer fund, which would increase with the next budget by $18.73 per house per year to pay for the debt service on past improvements to the sewer system. The average Bristol taxpayer would pay a total of about $78 more per year under the proposed plan.

Most departments will see a moderate rise of 1 to 2 percent, mostly to pay for a 1 percent salary increase for non-union town employees. A handful of departments — including Police, Fire, Board of Canvassers, Community Development and human resources — will get less than last year. The Police Department will see the largest spending cut — more than 3 percent — owing to the fact that the force is fully staffed, saving on police academy costs, and its fleet of vehicles is in good shape.

Another significant cut comes from human resource grants — disbursements the town makes to area non-profits and charities. Mr. Contente’s proposal imposes a 30 percent cut in the grants across the board, saving the town about $30,000. The biggest cuts would be to the East Bay Center and Explore Bristol, both of which would see their $25,000 grants cut to $17,500.

The biggest increase in the proposed budget is in fixed costs — expenses like pension benefits and interest on past loans — which will rise by nearly $200,000 (3.2 percent). Other significant increases include Public Works ($88,748, or 2.8 percent) to pay for increased tipping fees at the state landfill, and the Finance Department ($86,584 or 14.9 percent) to begin preparing for the upcoming property revaluation.