EAST SPENCER — In a unanimous vote Monday night the Board of Aldermen of East Spencer passed the proposed budget of $9.5 million for the coming fiscal year.

However, the taxpayers are only on the hook for $2.9 million of that, since $6,578,000 is money from grants.

The town received a total of $23 million in grants from the state for work on the water and sewer systems, and Town Manager Michael Douglas said the town will use $2 million for water and $2 million for sewer projects this year.

In addition, the town has received money from the state’s Community Development Block Grants through the Department of Commerce. For infrastructure the town received $1.9 million and for neighborhood revitalization, the town received $678,000.

That leaves the town itself to cover a balance of $2,942,479 exactly.

There were more than 10 people in attendance at Monday’s meeting, and questions centered around the 110 percent increase in the parks budget.

“The increase reflects the fact that we have hired three new park attendants for the splash pad,” said Douglas. Those in the audience wondered if the increase meant more programs were going to be available, but Douglas explained that while the percentage is large, it in truth is not a large amount of money, and is just enough to allow workers to be at the splash pad long enough for it to be open six days a week.

“The splash pad is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11-6,” he said. “On Fridays it will be open from 11-6:30. and on Saturday and Sunday from 10-6:30. But we are still looking for one more person to work. The problem is not budgeting the money, it’s finding people who want to work.” The town is also opening a concession stand during splash pad hours and of the three staff members, two will be on safety and security detail in the splash pad and one will be on duty in the concession stand. The town is operating the stand on its own, said Douglas.

The budget also included increases for all police officers and for the fire department, but Douglas himself did not seek a raise in the renewal of his contract, which was also approved.

The town has been working on renaming Robin Circle after the late alderman Tony Hillian, but the motion had to be tabled Monday in order to get some of the paperwork in order.

In addition, several residents praised the town for moving forward as fast as they have on the former school administration building that burned down in January, expressing initial concern it might be left unaddressed like the Dunbar Center, which the town is currently working to have cleaned of the years-long debris from a fire. Douglas gave the developer much of the credit for following the town’s request, and noted East Spencer “is continuing in our ongoing efforts to get the Dunbar property cleaned up.” When the last of the debris has been removed, Douglas said the town will send a bill for any and all work done to the registered owners.