WETHERSFIELD - Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) and debt service costs are on the up, while the town is projected to see some savings in fuel and energy costs.

       That’s part of the budget picture, strictly preliminary behind budget discussions at the state level, members of the Town Council were presented with in Town Manager Jeff Bridges’ office last Monday night.

       â€�"We don’t get a sense of anything until the governor introduces a budget, so we’re kind of working with existing conditions,” Bridges told them.

       The budget for this fiscal year is $96 million, $83 million of which comes from property taxes. The next largest revenue category is state aid, which has towns watching Governor Dan Malloy’s ongoing budget discussions closely.

       Education-Cost-Sharing (ECS) funds jumped from $8.4 million to $8.5 million from 2013 to 2014, but last year it went back down to $8.4 million. The current year estimate is approximately $9 million, according to Bridges.

       â€�"Total state aid’s been stable,” Bridges said. â€�"Of course we’d like more, but they haven’t wacked it too hard either.”

       Meanwhile, MDC, an area of inflation during the last budget cycle, will be seeing another cost hike. Wethersfield is projected to see water and sewer maintenances service run for 5.7 percent, or $179,000, more.

       â€�"It is a pain in the neck, but if we had to run our own sewer plant, it’d be much more than that,” Bridges said.

       Then there’s debt service--a major driver due mainly to the more recent issuing of $22 million in bonds for the ongoing Wethersfield High School renovation project. The exact amount is yet to be determined because the town will be putting the project out to bond again in February, but Bridges expects it to increase significantly before coming back down in later years.

       The town is also looking to put $600,000 into its Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) account--part of a long-term climb to full funding. The town has opted to increase the amount added to the fund by $200,000 each year. The current total liability is $56 million--a number that is expected to rise over time, according to Bridges.

       The state requires that municipalities pursue a fully funded OPEB account.

       â€�"Nobody expects it to be 100 percent funded but you have to have a plan to get there,” Bridges said. â€�"So every year we add $200,000. That’s our plan. At some point you can stop putting money in, but it’ll be awhile.”

       Bridges will release his proposed town-side operating budget in April. The Board of Education submits its proposal by March 15. The full budget has to be adopted by May 15.