CLAREMONT — The City Council was adamant that the city maintain a schedule of repaving roads as it began its review of a proposed $20.22 million budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 last week.

The council tentatively approved, in a 6-3 vote, a $3.84 million budget for streets and roads after Mayor Dale Girard recommended shifting $200,000 from a line item for drainage improvements to paving. Councilors noted that road paving is a priority most often mentioned by residents.

“We are making headway on paving,” Councilor William Limoges said. “I would hate to see us take a step backwards.”

The move restores the paving line expense to the $700,000 that was initially recommended by Public Works Director Alex Gleeson. Police Chief Brent Wilmot and Finance Director Nancy Bates, who were appointed interim co-city managers following the council’s firing of Yoshi Manale last month, had cut $200,000 from the final budget proposal.

During the discussion, some on the council expressed irritation that in the current fiscal year, $40,000 was taken from paving and added to sidewalk repair, a move which did not require council approval.

During his time on the council, Councilor Nick Koloski said, “roads, roads, roads” are what residents talk about the most and to find out money is taken from paving for other projects is “upsetting.” He said when the council approves a budget that commits a certain amount on paving and residents see that number, it is imperative that the administration follow through on that commitment.

Gleeson said if the $200,000 reduction remained it would mean an “entire neighborhood” of planned paving would be eliminated. However, he was not sure which of the 14 streets planned for full or partial paving would not get done.

In his opening statement to the council, Wilmot said the budget represents an increase of 3.25% from the current year. If approved as presented, it would add 24 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation to the municipal tax rate. That would increase annual taxes on a property assessed at $230,000 by $55.

Wilmot said most of the budget increase is attributable to higher insurance costs, including health care premiums, property liability, unemployment and workers compensation. Combined, they represented 22% of the budget increase. Contractual obligations with the city’s five collective bargaining units also added to the increase.

Wilmot pointed to three new expenses in the budget, including $68,000 for the Claremont Prosecutor Program, which has been in effect since 2019 but was not budgeted in the current year under an agreement with the Sullivan County Attorney’s office.

“The responsibility for funding this position has returned for fiscal ‘26,” Wilmot said.

A second new item proposes hiring another full-time police officer for $123,000, including salary and benefits. Wilmot said two years ago, the city “underfunded” three full-time officers positions and instead offered higher pay under a new collective bargaining agreement to make the city more competitive with other area departments.

“At the time, it was understood that the administration could return to council to seek funding for some or all of those underfunded positions,” Wilmot said. “We are pleased to report that through the collective bargaining process and numerous recruitment/retention techniques, all but only one of those vacant positions are currently filled.”

The last new item in the budget is a part-time human resources specialist for $39,184.

In the upcoming fiscal year, the city, working with Merchant McIntyre of Washington D.C., a federal funding consultant firm, and the federal delegation, will remain “aggressive” in its pursuit of grants for the city to offset tax increases for “large-scale municipal projects,” Wilmot said. Such projects include the Sugar River Riverwalk, which involves redevelopment of an industrial site off North Street along the Sugar River below the visitors center.

The council also reviewed budgets for the municipal complex, sanitation and water and sewer last Wednesday and will continue its review this coming Wednesday, May 14. The council is expected to approve a final city budget next month.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.