Winter is the time of year when Bel Air town officials make mid-year adjustments to the town's operating and capital budgets.
As such changes go, this year's mid-year adjustment is relatively small, just a $50,958 net reduction in a $12.5 million budget, according to the budget amendment introduced by resolution at Monday night's town meeting.
Updated revenue projections anticipate the town will receive about $106,000 less in property taxes than the $6.7 million originally budgeted last spring, which will be offset in part by about $20,000 more than anticipated in public utility taxes, Finance Director Lisa Moody explained.
The town also expects about $70,000 more in income tax than first estimated, the result of payments from a trust, Moody said. The original budget anticipated $1.3 million in income tax collections.
Moody said fines from red light camera tickets are expected to be off $30,000 from $397,000 estimated. Fewer tickets, however, also mean the anticipated payment to the camera contractor will be reduced by $4,200, to $166,000.
The town expects a contribution of $25,000 from the Rockfield Manor Foundation that was not budgeted, she said. The money will be used for a new awning, with the foundation and town splitting the cost and the town's expenditure is reflected by an increased expense.
The mid-year budget amendment also will reduce benefits and pensions costs by $59,000, mostly because of retirements, Moody said. Conversely, personnel-related expenses are expected to increase by $23,000 because of unemployment-related payments.
About $80,000 will be saved from the administration account in public works, where a new director and deputy director hired this fiscal year are making less than their predecessors. The town also saved about $35,000 on what it expected to pay for a new skid loader, Moody said.
One increased expenditure is $75,000 that will be earmarked for a new entrance to the police department parking area and paving of the Town Hall lot, Moody said.
The budget amendment also will transfer $96,000 between the Armory Marketplace project and street paving and improvements, she said, essentially "a wash."
The Armory project was supposed to be done with federal community development block grant funds; however, the town found the funds could not be used for that purpose, Moody explained. Instead, the grant money will be used for streets, including North Kelly Avenue, and the money that had been budgeted for street work will be used for the marketplace project.
A public hearing on the mid-year budget amendment resolution will be held prior to the March 16 town meeting, after which it can be approved by the Board of Town Commissioners.
During Monday's town meeting, the commissioners approved the appointment of Craig Ward and reappointment of William Kelly to the Economic Development Commission.
Cheryl Manns, Carole Milan and Kristien Foss were reappointed to the Cultural Arts Commission.
Mayor Robert Reier and other commissioners also praised the work of public works crews and DPW Director Steve Kline during recent snow and ice storms.
"We have had some challenging events with ice and snow," Reier said. "Hopefully, we won't have any more of these events and spring will arrive," adding he realized he was being "optimistic."
Commissioner Susan Burdette said she woke up one snowy morning and heard the DPW truck clearing her street and the town trash collection truck showed up at its regular time. "People in the neighborhood were quite thankful," she added.