DIXFIELD — Auditor Ron Smith told selectmen Monday evening that the town is “financially healthy and solid.”
Smith, who discussed the financial statements as of June 30, 2015, said based on the town’s $3.8 million budget, things were looking “very good.”
“You guys have adequate reserve accounts and continue to stay within the confines of your budget,” Smith said. “Obviously, there are areas that we see to work on, such as the sewer, but you guys have addressed that tonight.”
Earlier in the meeting, the board unanimously voted to approve a 27 percent increase in sewer rates to cover operational costs, additional debt payments and future infrastructure.
Smith said he believes a conversation to address water rates isn’t going to be too far down the road, but it seems like the town continues to understand its business and continues to stay up to industry standards.
“You recognize that there’s only so much money to go around,” Smith said. “If I were to recommend that everything in town stay up to industry standards, there’d be a revolt on the tax rate.”
Selectman Eugene Skibitsky said, “Well, that’s some encouraging news. It’s always good to hear the auditor say that your town is on solid ground.”
He told Smith the town has separate sets of books for the water and sewer departments, as well as the rest of the departments.
“Shouldn’t we have one set of books handling all departments, rather than separate books for different departments?” Skibitsky asked.
Smith said he is a “firm believer” in the idea of having one set of books.
“The more you can centralize all of your departments, the better off you’re going to be,” he said. “However, it’s a little like crawling before you walk. Right now, there are a lot of people that put their hands on your utilities. It might take some effort, but eventually, you can get there. There are certainly blueprints out there that we can take and make your own.”
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