WILLIAMSBURG — Voters at Town Meeting will be asked to approve town and school budgets totaling over $9 million when they convene on Monday.

The $9,068,534 spending plan for next fiscal year represents a 5.78% increase compared to the current year’s budget.

Chief among the increases in dollar terms are school expenditures of $4,828,686, an increase of $147,397 or 3.15%, and debt service, which is up by $121,205, or more than 25%.

The town is going into the first year of paying both interest and principal on its new public safety complex, with payments amounting to $260,600.

Fixed costs such as retirement and health insurance are up by $63,652.

Spending increases are projected in all municipal departments, notably public safety, with a proposed increase of 14.17% at $617,871. Town Administrator Nick Caccamo said a half-time position in the Fire Department is set to become full-time Jan. 1, and Police Chief Denise Wickland is looking to reorganize so as to reduce reliance on part-time officers. Part of that plan is to promote one employee to full-time, so the town will have two full-time officers, he said.

All municipal departments show substantial wage increases following a study last year that classified positions based on their level of responsibility. Caccamo said the Finance Committee determined that all employees should receive a 5% cost-of-living adjustment, and those whose wages didn’t meet the minimum as determined by the study would receive an additional boost.

Though the increases aren’t substantial in dollar terms, this approach boosted compensation for the collector, treasurer, Council on Aging and library by 15 to 20%.

“People at the lower end of the pay scale did best in terms of percentage increases,” Caccamo said.

The budget relies on approximately $1.2 million in state aid and $530,000 in local receipts, mostly meals and excise taxes, Caccamo said.

With healthy reserves, the town is committing approximately $455,000 in free cash to various capital purchases, Caccamo said, and another $260,000 toward reducing the Hampshire Regional High School assessment.

Chief among the proposed capital expenditures are $110,000 for a dump truck with sander for the Highway Department, $70,000 for a new Fire Department vehicle, $66,000 for a police cruiser, and $60,000 apiece for a tractor and plow truck for the Highway Department.

Town Meeting begins at 6 p.m. Monday in the Anne T. Dunphy School gymnasium.

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