Warren taxpayers will be asked to approve a FY2025 budget of $4,820,059, up 8.07% from last year’s actual spending of $4,535,933 and approved budget of $4,431.071.
Included in the proposed budget are salary increases that range from 2.41 to 2.47 for most employees, with an office assistant receiving a 20.54% increase and the planning clerk receiving a 17.32% increase. Highway salaries increased 2.37%. Across all town employee categories, the line item for ‘benefits/tax withholdings were up, ranging from a low of 10.49% to a high of 38.57% with the road department coming in at 21.76%. Total town wages are up 2.92% with $982,108 proposed this year, compared to last year’s budgeted $953,425 and actual of $934,513.
As one of the three towns in the Mad River Valley Planning District, Warren’s contribution this year is $68,334, up 21.03% from last year. Warren, Waitsfield, Fayston and Sugarbush fund the planning district. Warren’s Conservation Commission remains flat from 2024 to 2025 at $23,400, $16,000 of which is spent on knotweed management.
The Warren Volunteer Fire Department budget is up 2.16 % from (actual) $179,109 to $189,800. Warren’s law enforcement contract with the Washington County Sheriff’s Department netted $1,800 in fines last year (down from $2,487 the prior year). The law enforcement budget for 2025 is $41,800, which was the budgeted amount for 2024.
Warren’s constable program is budgeted at $15,375 for the 2025, up 10.89% from last year’s budgeted $13,700 and close to the 2024 actual of $15,398. Warren’s Emergency Management budget is level budgeted from last year at $7,350.
Total library costs in Warren are up 17.40%, including 29.81% for benefits and tax withholdings, expenditures are proposed at $33,625, up from last year’s budget of $19,000 and actual of $43,227. Total costs were $179,958 last year with $217,373 proposed for this year.
Warren has a recreation budget that includes line items for parks, its town rec committee, the Mad River Valley Recreation District, and the Fourth of July celebration. The proposed budget for recreation is $86,000, up from last year’s budgeted $71,500 and actual of $80,605. Warren’s recreation costs are offset by funds received from the Fourth of July, usually $12,000-$13,000.
Highway department salaries rose 2.37% with benefits and tax withholdings going up 21.76%. The town’s total highway budget is going up 7.61%.
This year Warren is proposing capital budget contributions of $1,136,500 to be used for highway and fire department equipment, road and bridge repairs, paving, building improvements, wastewater and other town infrastructure and equipment.
