{"id":479,"date":"2009-03-03T01:00:46","date_gmt":"2009-03-03T05:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dandunn.org\/blog\/?p=479"},"modified":"2009-03-03T01:00:46","modified_gmt":"2009-03-03T05:00:46","slug":"finance-committee-fy10-budget-decision-delay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dandunn.org\/blog\/2009\/03\/finance-committee-fy10-budget-decision-delay\/","title":{"rendered":"Finance Committee FY10 – Budget Decision Delay"},"content":{"rendered":"

Black text is mostly objective,\u00c2\u00a0<\/em>red text is mostly subjective in nature<\/em><\/span>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

We’ve had five FinCom meetings this year so far. \u00c2\u00a0I missed two (out sick). \u00c2\u00a0I only put up notes on some FinCom meetings, partly because of my time constraints, party because some of the stuff is just too dry to get excited writing about. \u00c2\u00a0Tonight there was enough interesting stuff to write, so here goes the first FinComm post of ’09.<\/p>\n

I think the most important thing we talked about was to not<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0decide the budgets yet. \u00c2\u00a0Ordinarily at this point in the budget cycle we’d have a bottom line in mind and a draft set of budgets that come close to that bottom line. \u00c2\u00a0We’d be meeting with departments, reviewing the budgets, and getting them on target and sync’d up with general policy. \u00c2\u00a0This year, we have draft budgets that reflect an increase in spending (higher than level funding, lower than level service). \u00c2\u00a0The consensus is that the current expected revenues require a 1% cut in funding – our draft budget is out of date. \u00c2\u00a0Additionally, there are a whole bunch of unknowns: the state has a couple different pots of stimulus money that have a real chance of affecting the town’s revenue. \u00c2\u00a0There is a new chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, which makes local aid less predictable (and likely to be late in releasing a budget). \u00c2\u00a0The Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) are likely to be larger because of stimulus spending. \u00c2\u00a0There is a movement to increase meals taxes and return the money to state and towns. \u00c2\u00a0When you look at the timeline and likely outcomes, the budgets are likely to change a half-dozen times between now and Town Meeting.<\/p>\n

So, our plan right now is to wait. \u00c2\u00a0We’ll meet with departments but not try to finalize any budgets. \u00c2\u00a0Town Meeting will open. \u00c2\u00a0Town Meeting will dispose of zoning and bylaw articles. \u00c2\u00a0We’ll then ask Town Meeting to adjourn until late May or June. \u00c2\u00a0We’ll finalize budgets in May with the departments, and then have Town Meeting vote on those finalized budgets.<\/p>\n

We’re not locked in on this plan. \u00c2\u00a0We may change our minds if other town bodies\/officers recommend otherwise.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0I think this is the right way to go. \u00c2\u00a0There are so many variables, we’ll be chasing our tails making a budget this month. \u00c2\u00a0We can reasonably expect most of the variables to be resolved by May, and we can write a believeable budget then. \u00c2\u00a0I believe Town Meeting members will understand the logic. \u00c2\u00a0It’s an unexpected inconvenience, but it’s the right thing to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

In other business, the committee voted to table the vote on pay-as-you-throw legislation until the Selectmen have considered it.<\/p>\n

The committee voted to table the Recycling Committee’s budget until after the Eco-fest so as to judge demand for compost bins.<\/p>\n

Barbara Goodman came in and spoke to her request for home rule legislation that would, in the end, permit her to buy two years of retirement for her time as a school committee member. \u00c2\u00a0The committee considered the proposal and voted unanimously to recommend against it. \u00c2\u00a0There were a variety of reasons discussed. \u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n