Milton presents 2022 budget

The town of Milton is projected to run a small surplus in its fiscal year 2022 budget, as presented by Town Manager Kristy Rogers July 12.

The town’s general fund is estimated to have a $940 surplus, with general fund revenues at $3.349 million and expenses at $3.348 million. The general fund includes administrative, planning, parks, police and streets revenues and expenses. 

Forty-four percent of the town’s revenues comes from property and real estate transfer taxes. Fees from licenses, permits and applications amount to 22 percent of revenue and 21 percent comes from grants. Rogers has budgeted $230,000 in real estate transfer tax revenue, the same as fiscal year 2021. 

Rogers’ method has typically been to budget only what the town plans to spend in transfer tax revenue – which is restricted to capital expenses, public works services and infrastructure projects – so that projection does not reflect what the town would actually take in. She said the town is anticipating adding 47 new residential units during fiscal year 2022, which runs from Friday, Oct. 1, to Friday, Sept. 30, 2022.

Rogers said she wants the town to rely less on transfer tax revenue for its operating costs. In Delaware, municipalities receive 1.5 percent of property sales as part of the state’s transfer tax. 

The majority of the town’s expenses, 72 percent combined, come from streets and parks, and police. 

Rogers said the town’s utility fund, which includes the water department, and residential waste and recycling collection, is running a $25,000 surplus. She said technically, the surplus is $119,000, but subtracted from that is $94,000 in water-impact fees, which can only be used on water infrastructure maintenance. 

Among the capital improvement plans for fiscal year 2022 are a new police car, building repairs to the police station and town hall, a new drainage system and bulkhead improvements at the Magnolia Street parking lot, and water main upgrades on Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic Street and portions of Chestnut Street. The latter two projects have received state funding, with the $1.6 million water main project funded by a loan from the state Water Infrastructure Advisory Council, and the Magnolia Street drainage project funded 50/50 between the state and the town. 

Rogers is recommending a fee increase for building permits, and waste and recycling fees; how much that increase would be is still not determined. She also called for an additional planning department employee and hiring another police officer. 

“Milton is growing,” Rogers said. “We must continue to provide a level of services to not only meet but exceed the expectations and needs of our community.”

The July 12 presentation was the first step in the town’s budget process. The budget will first go to the finance committee for review before coming back to town council for discussion and a public hearing during meetings set for Monday, Aug. 2, and Monday, Aug. 16. Council is expected to vote on the budget by Monday, Sept. 13.