By Shavonne Potts

shavonne.potts@salisburypost.com

EAST SPENCER — The town of East Spencer passed a $5 million budget largely buoyed by grant funding with no opposition from the community after its Monday public hearing.

No one attended the public hearing, said Alderman Albert Smith. The meeting was set so that the town board could discuss the proposed fiscal year 2020-21 budget with the public. The staff and board were able to cut over $60,000 from the budget after its last meeting in May.

The board was previously looking at a $5.15 million budget and were able to reduce that to $5.09 million.

The budget includes the following:

• General Fund — $1.43 million

• Water and Sewer Fund — $870,638

• Powell Bill Fund — $52,359

• Community Development Block Grant — $2.75 million

The grant funding is intended for rehabilitation or repair of homes as well as infrastructure that includes a pump station at Royal Giants Park.

The proposed tax rate for the 2020-21 fiscal year is 66 cents per $100 of valuation.

Town Administrator James Bennett told the board in May that because of the COVID-19 pandemic they could expect lower revenue like many other towns.

He told the board at that time it was in their best interest to make as many cuts as possible.