Town Manager Explains FY2021 Budget Proposal

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — North Andover Town Manager Melissa Murphy-Rodrigues presented her proposed $111.2 million Fiscal Year 2021 budget to the Board of Selectmen at their meeting Monday. That number includes capital transfers and reserves, while the operating budget would be $104.4 million, a 4.01 percent increase. The town faced a potential budget gap for the school department, which wanted a larger increase than the 3.6 percent guideline, but with increased new growth and level-funded health insurance, the schools were allowed a 4.5 percent increase.

The town joined the state's Group Insurance Commission in 2014, allowing the health insurance costs to drop from $11.1 million then to $10.7 million in next year's budget. That's with 11 additional school employees next year.

"It's pretty amazing, when you think of it, our health insurance costing less than what it did seven years ago," Murphy-Rodrigues said.

The town also has a number of changes in the proposed budget, including four firefighter promotions and nearly $100,000 to the community development department, for digitization of documents and a part-time housing development specialist. The town is looking to hire a part time administrative assistant for the youth and recreation department, get a therapy dog for the police, and invest in cybersecurity and voting technology. The public works and human resources departments would see consolidations, which would produce savings.

"Most of the budgets really are level funding, level services," Murphy-Rodrigues said.

The budget also cuts the Stevens Estate budget, with one fewer employee, no capital expenditures, and less indirect costs.

"We're really trying to step back, take off some of that burden, and kind of reset," the town manager explained.

The full budget is available here.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.