Wednesday night, the Board of Finance cut $9,142 from Waterford’s fire services' budget proposal for the 2013-14 fiscal year, although the $2.71 million proposal is still a 3.7 percent increase from this year’s $2.61 million total.
The Board of Finance took a scalpel to the proposal, making a slew of small cuts ranging from $250 for advertising to $2,500 for clothing allowances. The board went through every line item during the three-hour budget review, grilling Fire Director Bruce Miller on nearly every expense.
The main reasons for the $97,744 increase in the budget next year is an increased cost in hydrant fees, a price dictated by the City of New London per an ancient agreement, higher insurance costs and higher personnel costs. The budget proposal still needs to be approved by the Representative Town Meeting.
