The Dublin Budget Committee broke down its proposed 2024-2025 operating budget in a public hearing at the Dublin Town Hall Wednesday night. At approximately $2.63 million dollars, it is about 6.6% higher than the town’s 2023 operating budget.

Budget Committee Chair Bill Gurney attributed the increase to several uncontrollable factors, including the departure of the town’s previous prosecutor and an upcoming revaluation of Dublin’s property values. The town’s 2024 legal budget was increased approximately 181% from 2023 to hire a new prosecutor and in anticipation of potential legal fees associated with the revaluation. The revaluation budget also saw about a 33% increase compared to last year’s.

The town’s fire budget rose approximately 13% as a result of higher ambulance costs. Dublin relies on ambulance services from Peterborough, and Gurney attributed the rising costs to staffing issues.

“They’ve reduced the number of transports they’re doing,” Gurney said. “They’ve lost a major source of their revenue.”

Additionally, the committee is budgeting about a 127% increase in the election budget as a result of the upcoming presidential election, and the adoption of a new tax collection software resulted in an approximately 6% increase in the financial administration budget.

“Thankfully, we also anticipate increases in revenue that will help offset some of these,” Gurney said.

The committee predicts $975,975 in revenue this year, about a 21% increase from predicted revenue in 2023.

The proposed 2024 town budget is Article 3 on Dublin’s town warrant. Additionally, warrant Article 4 proposes the collection of $490,000, through taxation, for the town capital reserve. Warrant Article 5 proposes the collection of an additional $100,000 in taxes to supplement the road construction capital reserve fund.

Warrant Articles 9 through 12 propose the collection of additional tax money to fund the repair of Dublin’s Civil War Monument, the trimming of trees in the town cemetery, the operation of the Dublin Advocate newsletter and various health and welfare agencies, respectively.

Dublin residents will vote to approve the proposed 2024 budget and related warrant articles at the Town Meeting on March 16 at the Dublin Consolidated School, starting at 9 a.m.