BUDGET AND TAX INFORMATION  

I BUDGET

Barre Town utilizes fund accounting, as many municipalities do. Nine fund budgets are included in the Town budget. Except the General Fund, each budget has a specific purpose.

At Barre Town’s annual Town Meeting Day on the second Tuesday of May, voters elect to approve or disapprove the Selectboard’s proposed General and Highway Fund budgets. Approval of these two budgets are decided by voters because their primary source of revenue (75% for the General Fund and 86% for the Highway Fund) is property taxes. About one-half of Barre Town property owners’ tax payments go towards operating streets and roads, and the other half pays for the myriad of services under the General Fund umbrella.

Barre Town’s General Fund budget is organized by departments. Most are operating departments, but some are just a group of similar accounts used to track expenses. The public safety departments dominate the General Fund. The police, fire, and EMS departments are the first, third, and fourth largest budget departments (employee benefits is second). The department budget amounts for the current year are presented below:

General Government:

Selectboard ………………………………………….. $19,390

Auditing ………………………………………………  7,830

Town Manager ……………………………………… 122,965

Elections/BCA ……………………………………….. 11,805

Clerk-Treasurer ……………………………………… 146,500

Data Processing ……………………………………… 34,410

Planning/Zoning/Community Development ……… 99,840

Assessor/Reappraisal ………………………………… 175,995

Municipal Building ………………………………….. 44,825

Public Safety:

Police ………………………………………………… $551,460

Fire …………………………………………………… 194,645

Emergency Management …………………………… 13,185

Emergency Medical Services ……………………….. 153,020

Sanitation:

Solid Waste …………………………………………. $ 35,870

Health & Welfare:

Health Officer ………………………………………. $ 1,200

Animal Control ……………………………………… 1,720

Culture/Recreation/Development:

Culture (Aldrich Library) …………………………… $ 65,000

Recreation Department …………………………….. 127,890

Development ………………………………………… 34,700

Debt Service:

Long Term Debt …………………………………….. $ 115,165

Insurances & Benefits:

Insurances …………………………………………… $ 37,300

Benefits ……………………………………………… 247,530

Sundry Items:

Other Items ………………………………………… $ 55,990

Interfund Transfers ………………………………… 74,125

_________

TOTAL GENERAL FUND: $2,372,360

The Highway Fund budget is organized into departments that represent functions. The distinction between Construction and Retreatment (re-paving) is less clear today thanks to a 15-year endeavor to rebuild roads properly. These two categories could be viewed as one. The Highway Fund departments and current fiscal year amounts are presented below:

Administration & Engineering …………………….. $ 162,310

Summer Maintenance ……………………………… 448,475

Winter Maintenance ……………………………….. 455,700

Summer Construction ……………………………… 350,585

Retreatment ………………………………………… 206,530

Employee Benefits …………………………………. 268,430

Gravel Pits …………………………………………... 58,525

Signing & Lighting ………………………………….. 99,150

_________

TOTAL HIGHWAY FUND: $2,049,705

After property taxes, fees and charges for services ($135,000) are the second leading General Fund revenue source. The Town Clerk’s Office and police department are leaders in generating fees for services. Intergovernmental revenue (State grants and school cost sharing) is the third largest revenue category at $84,200. License and permit application fees (zoning and planning, mostly) at $31,930 is the fourth highest revenue category. Like almost every Vermont municipality, Barre Town is heavily reliant on the property tax for its revenue.

In the Highway Fund, State grants are a greater factor in the budget equation because the Highway Fund does not have the opportunities to charge for its services like some General Fund departments. The State’s general grant for highways is about $180,000 per year for Barre Town. Project grants (paving, bridges, and culverts) vary from year to year, but Barre Town receives around $50,000 annually for grant-aided projects.

Barre Town has issued bonds to pay for capital improvements. A summary of municipal debt is provided here:

For information about the Budget Committee, go to Boards & Commissions.

II TAXES

Barre Town does not have authorization to levy any tax other than the property tax. An individual owner’s tax bill is calculated by multiplying the tax rate times the property’s assessed value. The Town Assessor determines the assessed value. On the average, for tax purposes, Barre Town properties are assessed at 75% of their fair market value. The tax rate is expressed as a dollar figure per $100 of assessed value. Homes assessed at $110,000 are common in Barre Town. The current tax bill for such a home would be $3,168 ($110,000 ÷ $100 = $1,100 x $2.88 tax rate). The tax year is July 1 – June 30. One tax bill is mailed out in mid-July. The annual tax bill is payable in four installments due on August 15, November 15, February 15, and May 15. Penalties, late fees, and interest are charged if a payment is missed. For details, go to the Town Clerk-Treasurer’s page under Departments.       The total tax rate from 1978 to the present are listed below:

* Reappraisal
**Land only reappraisal

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