North Andover Town Manager Proposes 0.95% Budget Hike

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — The North Andover town budget would increase just under 1 percent, under the recommended Fiscal Year 2022 budget recently presented to the Select Board by Town Manager Melissa Murphy-Rodrigues.

Total general fund spending would grow to $112.8 million, up from $111.7 million in the Fiscal Year 2021 budget.

Speaking to the Board at their Feb. 8 meeting, Murphy-Rodrigues projected that excluding reserves, revenues would increase about 2.35 percent.

The property tax levy would increase by 3.61 percent while local receipts would fall 3.55 percent, due to continuing pandemic effects. Town officials are projecting level funding for state aid.

The education budget would increase from $53.7 million to $55.2 million, a 2.8 percent increase. North Andover Public School would get a 2.5 percent bump.

Murphy-Rodrigues said the town plans to ask town meeting to appropriate free cash to cover coronavirus costs, as a "one-time use for a one-time cost." The town has already spent nearly three million on coronavirus costs and has used up its CARES Act funding.

Free cash was most recently certified at $10.8 million; it would drop to $2.4 million after town meeting, although over $5 million would soon be added back through Amazon's permit payment, the town manager said.

The full budget book is available here. The meeting video is here, from North Andover CAM.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.