Fayston voters will be asked to approve a budget of $1,848,4523 at Town Meeting on March 5. That represents an 11.37% increase over last year’s budget of $1,627,751.
The increase comes from a variety of line items in the budget, including an increase in the town’s legal budget of $4,000 over the 2023 budget. The actual 2023 legal budget came in at $9,998.
Benefits for town employees are up over the previous year’s budget and actual. This year total benefits are proposed at $240,807, up from last year’s budget of $176, 554 and actual of $178,160. The line item for hospitalization increased from $111,854 to $158,307. Retirement costs increased from a projected $22,000 (actual $24,658) to $32,000.
Town highway equipment costs are down slightly with $125,500 requested this year, compared to $123,000 last year (actual $125,975). Town garage costs are proposed at $18,000 this year, up over last year’s actual of $14,112, but down from the 2023 budgeted amount of $21,500. Highway department salaries will increase to $267,000 from last year’s budget of $209,512 and actual of $217,075.
Planning department costs are projected at $105,116, up from last year’s budget of $95,147 and actual of $89,150. Fayston’s participation in the Mad River Valley Planning District is included in the planning department budget and will increase from $45,317 to $53,962. All the towns in the planning district plus Sugarbush pay equal amounts to fund the planning district.
Town office salaries, including town clerk, treasurer, tax collector, select board assistant, listers, assistant town clerk and assistant treasurer are proposed at $168,178, up from last year’s budgeted $161,955 and last year’s actual of $155,026.
The town is setting aside funding for future road department expenses, as well as culverts, and the town forest reserve, among other items. The proposed budget calls for reserving $40,000 for road retreatment, up from last year’s $25,000. It also calls for setting aside $325,000 for equipment reserves, up from last year’s $275,000.
Another line item proposes $75,000 for firefighting equipment, up from $65,000 last year. This year’s budget increases the reserve for town forests from $5,600 to $12,000. The town’s share of the shared Waitsfield-Fayston Volunteer Fire Department is $69,933 up from last year’s budgeted amount of $67,993 and actual of $55,912.
