“Wholly uneventful” is how Nathan Calouro described the budget workshops that took place over the last several days, leading up to the presentation of the budget at the Bristol Town Council’s monthly meeting on March 24.

“That’s a good thing,” said the council chairman, “and it’s a compliment to the hard work and dedication of the administrator, the treasurer and my colleagues, who came prepared and ready to ask questions.”

With the resumption of in-person meetings, adaptations needed to be made to the Council’s chamber. State law continues to mandate masks, distancing, and a cap of 15 people at indoor meetings, so councilors cannot sit shoulder to shoulder as they have in the past. In order to accommodate the public, and particularly those who need to address the council, the room is, effectively, transformed into a Zoom studio for the duration of the meetings, with screens standing in for the dais and microphone from where members of the public would have addressed the Council pre-COVID.

It’s a set up that could work indefinitely — though Mr. Calouro is very glad to be interacting with his colleagues face-to-masked face.

“Eighty percent of what people say is through their body language, and we missed a lot of that with Zoom meetings. The timing and flow of conversation is a little off,” said Mr. Calouro. “Now, as regulations change, so will we. Zoom won’t go away, this will just be another way of watching a meeting.”

A modest tax increase

Previewing the budget that will be presented at press time, Mr. Calouro says it does contain a small tax increase of 41 cents (currently $14.07 per thousand of assessed property value). “Nobody takes tax increases lightly,” said Mr. Calouro. “But this budget is extremely efficient.”

The increases will serve mostly cost-of-living increases and employee costs, including increases in health care costs. Mr. Calouro credits town treasurer Julie Goucher with the fact that the town is successfully funding their pension liabilities — one of the few towns in the state that is doing so.

“I’m pleased with this budget. It continues to move the town forward, with either level-funding or investments that will save money in the long term and continue to improve our infrastructure while making Bristol an affordable place to live,” said Town Administrator Steven Contente of the budget, which also recommends that the town meets the Bristol Warren Regional School Committee’s request for a 3 percent increase.

“As bad as this year has been, I’m really happy with the way the town is positioned for the future.”

Public workshop scheduled

Following the presentation of the budget, the community will have an opportunity to weigh in at a public workshop scheduled for Monday, April 12. The final vote on the budget will be held at the following regular Council meeting on April 26.