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Is there any possible way to stay under the tax cap? Can we allocate sales tax to the Garbage Fund? • No – cannot use sales tax (collected on the whole town) to benefit a select group of people and not everyone has garbage service Can we use Fund Balance in the Garbage Fund to offset the increase? • Not really – This fund has a lower fund balance than the minimum specified in the Town’s policy. The policy specifies 20% of budgeted appropriations as that is how much is needed to cover the 1 st 2 months of garbage service before tax revenue comes in Can we loan money from the General Fund to the Garbage Fund? • Yes – But it would need to be paid back with interest Can we decrease other funds to make up the difference? • Yes – But we are pushing the problem onto next year… • Water - Water projects are looming on the horizon in all districts • Garbage - The garbage contract has a 2% increase in cost in it every year • Highway - Some highway trucks are over 30 years old and need replacing as they are becoming unsafe • Fire - The Fire LOSAP program is 42% funded and heading towards insolvency • Ambulance - Boston EMS can barely make ends meet with the amount they are currently given which hasn’t increased since 2012 • General - The Town Hall boiler needs replacing (ongoing currently), the elevator needs replacing (ongoing currently), the Highway barn and salt barn both need new roofs, North Boston Park needs repairs to the structure, and Drainage projects haven’t been completed in a few years 58