by Andrew Martin

     The Morristown Selectboard is presenting voters at Town Meeting with a proposed 2012-2013 budget that is only slightly increased from last year, even if the article asking for funding for the library is passed. The proposed budget, not including the library article, is $4,330,218. This total is only $23,275 higher than last year’s budget, which was $4,306,943. The $23,275 is only a .5 percent increase from last year’s voted budget.
     According to Morristown Administrator Dan Lindley, the increase is due in part to the fact that the selectboard budgeted $200,000 for paving in the 2012-2013 proposed budget, while only $100,000 was budgeted for that purpose in the 2011-2012 budget.
    “We need to pave our roads more than we have in years past,” commented Lindley.
     In addition to the paving budget, other increases occurred in what was budgeted for fuel costs and for the county budget.
     The proposed library article would add a total of $68,000 per year for five years to the town budget if passed. For the current proposed budget, the additional $68,000 would mean that the increase over last year’s budget would rise to $91,275, which translates to a 1.9 percent increase.