City Manager Ed Augustus Jr. has unveiled his proposed fiscal 2018 budget, a $632-million plan to �improve education, enhance city services, and building our public safety successes, while addressing long-term liabilities and maintaining our forward-thinking financial stability,� as stated in a summary of the document.



The total proposed expenditures represent a 2.24-percent increase over last year's budget, based on a corresponding 2.24-percent increase in revenue.



Two long-term planning measures are included in the budget. For a long time, city councilors and others have talked about the potential of merging Worcester Public Schools and City of Worcester administrative functions to save money and increase efficiency. Augustus said he is allocating $50,000 to a consultant to work out, once and for all, if the idea is feasible.



There is also a $200,000 line item for an Economic Development Citywide Master Plan. Such a plan is mandatory for cities in Massachusetts, but Worcester's was completed 30 years ago, and the city has changed since that time. The plan will encompass land use, walkability, housing, the environment, public health and other facets of Worcester living, and Augustus noted, �much of this information is required as we apply for state funding.�



The city manager's office breaks down the budget's priorities into four �opportunities.� The first is education. For the second year in a row, the city will fund the public schools above the state-mandated minimum contribution, adding $1.5 million to last year's contribution for a total of $1.75 million in tax levy funding. An additional $10 million in state aid results in a $11.75-million increase for WPS since last year's budget.



Public safety is also listed as a focus area, with the city providing funding for new police and fire recruit classes. Other programs will be maintained � the popular Worcester Police Summer Impact program, in addition to ShotSpotter, which had originally been funded through CSX mitigation money, now being maintained with a $75,000 contribution from the city to its total cost. There are also two civilian positions being added: a lab director for the Police Department and a civilian fire prevention engineer for the Fire Department.



Improving neighborhoods, parks and city services is another heading. The city wants to expand the Parks Stewards program from six to seven-and-a-half weeks at a cost of $25,000 and provide additional Parks Department overtime. Two additional staff members would be added to implement programs and software and maintain the city's new website, scheduled to launch in June. Additional funding has also been allocated to two high-profile sources of complaints: street improvements such as crosswalk re-striping and the snow removal program, which will see an increase in funding up to $6 million under the plan. The city also wants to implement a $400,000 Stump Program to remove all tree stumps from public parks and streets, and implement a Median Strip Cleanup program staffed by youth in the Youth Violence Prevention Initiative.



The city is also looking to strengthen its long-range financial plan. Augustus put forward a number of proposed tweaks to the city's five-point financial plan, and some of the ideas are contained in the budget. A $550,000 deposit to the Other Post Employment Benefits reserve is included in the budget, as is $2.75 million for Doherty and South High Schools and an anticipated 2-percent cost of living wage increase for employees. The city also notes that health insurance costs are up less than 5.6 percent, below the national average of 9.25 percent.