By Janet Stoica

It’s that time of year again for all cities and towns to get their departmental budgets in order for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025 and Webster is in the thick of it or is it the thicket?  “Right now our numbers reflect $64 million of expenditures for our town budget,” said Rick LaFond, Town Administrator, “it’s the second year in a row that our state aid dollars have stayed the same $800,000 - $900,000.  We received $2 million from the state two years ago. This lesser amount has a great effect on us. We are fortunate to have about $6 million in our stabilization fund and $6 million in our Free Cash but this cannot be considered a permanent solution nor should it be.”

Webster’s school budget, like all other cities and towns, is the largest piece of the budget pie and comes in at approximately $28,260,000 which is a 5.5% increase over fiscal year 2025. Increases include those amounts required for special education which are currently noted as 40% of the total school budget.

No doubt about it, the town’s grand and beautiful town hall is in need of renovation. The flooding that occurs on the east side of the building (library side) does not lend itself to the stability of the building’s footings. There are aging concerns that definitely should be addressed.

The building was built about 100 years ago in 1927-28 and a 2019 RFP (Request for Proposal), sought to hire an architect to develop an independent analysis of the buildings’ structural, architectural, and materials needs, with an emphasis on the retention and restoration of the buildings’ historic exterior elements and the retention of significant interior details and spaces. 

The town hall is the headquarters of the town’s administration and houses the town’s departments and their employees. The auditorium remains and continues to facilitate a limited number of community events and elections. Town Hall is the anchor of the historic downtown. It is part of a municipal complex in the Webster Municipal Buildings Historic District (National Register, 2012) that includes the Gladys E. Kelly Public Library (2018), the Webster Civil War Soldiers & Sailors Monument (Veteran’s Memorial Court of Honor), and the historic Bartlett and Sitkowski schools (renovated into affordable housing and Senior Center). It is the most prominent and busiest building in downtown Webster.

“The building is not falling down,” said Mr. LaFond, “but it certainly needs to be assessed. We will look into our debt service to fit this in with minimal impact to taxpayers.”