BUDGET AND TAX INFORMATION  
For Fiscal Year 2010-2011

I. BUDGET

Barre Town utilizes fund accounting, as many municipalities do. Eight 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 (78% for the General Fund and 92% 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.

TOTAL FY 2010-2011 GENERAL FUND: $2,933,036

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:

Public Safety:

Sanitation:

Health & Welfare:

Culture/Recreation/Development:

Debt Service:

Insurances & Benefits:

Sundry Items:

After property taxes, fees and charges for services ($187,350) 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 $89,840. Interest, late charges associated with delinquencies is this the fourth larges revenue at $74,000. License and permit application fees (zoning and planning, mostly) at $16,060 is the fifth highest revenue category. Like almost every Vermont municipality, Barre Town is heavily reliant on the property tax for its revenue.

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TOTAL FY 2010-2011 HIGHWAY FUND: $2,517,020

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 20-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:

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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 $193,445 for this fiscal year. Barre Town's Project grants (paving, bridges, and culverts) are applied for annually and vary from year to year.

FY 2010-2011 DEBT SERVICE

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

Click here for information about the Budget Committee.

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 82.579% of their fair market value. The tax rate is expressed as a dollar figure per $100 of assessed value. Homes assessed at $175,000 are common in Barre Town. The current tax bill for such a home would be $3,621.63, ($175,000 ÷ $100 = $1,000 x $2.0695 tax rate = $3,621.63). 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 16, November 15, February 15, and May 16. Penalties, late fees, and interest are charged if a payment is missed. For details, go to the Town Clerk-Treasurer’s tax page.  The total tax rate from 1978 to the present are listed below: