Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha is crediting his finance director for reducing the proposed municipal budget by $167,000.

Mr. Cunha said Kathy Raposa, the town's finance director and business manager, negotiated with two health care insurance companies to find the best deal. 

"She's tough," said Mr. Cunha. "She knows what she's talking about."

The town manager said the town's claim history played a factor in the negotiations and in the cost savings. 

"We have a phenomenally low claim history," Mr. Cunha added.

The $167,000 shift drops the municipal government's requested increase to $242,000, and much of that increase is for the full-time school resource officer position.

"I would have been below 2 percent without the SRO. But the SRO is something that needed to do," said Mr. Cunha.

The town manager said residents need to know that there is "no cushion built into the budget." He said the municipal government's work staff is "down to bare bones."

The total proposed budget increase — including municipal, schools, capital improvements and debt service — is $2,372,000 or 3.3 percent over the current budget.

The municipal government officials are proposing a $242,000 increase to the operating budget, while the capital improvement budget is proposing a $200,000 (18 percent) increase. The debt service is projected to increase by $472,000 (8.75 percent), and the school's operating budget includes a proposed increase of $1,459,000 (2.97 percent).

Mr. Cunha wants to remind taxpayers that this is a revaluation year and that will result in a change to the town's tax rate, even before the proposed budgets are voted upon at the May 23 financial town meeting.

Senior tax exemptions

The recent change in the senior tax exemption structure will result in a larger loss of revenue, said Mr. Cunha. Last year the town extended less than $600,000 for the senior tax exemptions, but officials are expecting about $800,000 in lost revenue this year. Mr. Cunha said that the town does not offer as many exemptions for military veterans.

Motion filed

Barrington resident Peter Clifford has filed an amendment to the proposed budgets, calling for a $500,000 reduction to the school department's proposed budget increase. Mr. Clifford's amendment will be voted upon at the May 23 financial town meeting.