Annual Town Meeting 2010

For the past few months, the Select Board and Finance Committee have fought to bring town costs under control. On Saturday, the town agreed with them.

The $3.85 million dollar budget the Select Board brought to the meeting passed essentially unchanged, even though it cut two positions from the town payroll – one each from the highway and police departments.

In introducing the budget, Select Board Chair Ted Murray said, “We are now at a point where we can no longer pay for the level of services to which we’ve been accustomed. . . . It’s not a question of what we want, it’s a question of what we can afford.” Murray went on to cite elements that are beyond town control, such as rising vocational school tuition and cuts in state funding.

In a show of solidarity with the employees who are asked to make sacrifices, the Select Board proposed in Article 3 that all elected town officials will forgo their stipends this year. A floor amendment by resident Mike Fitzgerald added to the article the town’s grateful acknowledgement for the sacrifice and a request that these stipends be reinstituted next year.

The only substantial challenge to the budget was an amendment by resident Bill Perlman to reduce the proposed Police Chief’s position to part time, reduce police operating expenses, and reinstitute the sergeant’s position, which was cut from the budget. After a prolonged but civil discussion, the amendment was defeated by a voice vote.

The town agreed to increase only one budget line item, reinstating $2600 for uniforms for the Highway Department. When some voters asked why the department employees couldn’t purchase and launder their own uniforms, department employee Curt Pichette pointed out that the grease and tar encountered by the Highway Department would destroy a normal washing machine. Finance Committee member Tom Carter also reminded the town that the uniform service was established for the Highway Department years ago in lieu of a cost of living raise.

The town also passed – both on the floor and at the ballot box – the measures necessary for a Proposition 2 ½ override to purchase a new truck for the Highway Department. At an estimated cost of $145,000, the new truck will replace a 20-year-old vehicle now in need of extensive maintenance. While final figures are not available, Carter estimated that the truck will add about 12 cents/thousand to the tax rate.

In non-budget news, the town defeated a proposal by the Mohawk Regional School District to create a school stabilization fund for capital expenditures, a measure that both the Select Board and the Finance Committee recommended against. Murray, while supporting stabilization funds in general, raised questions on how this one would be administered. Finance Committee Member Carl Satterfield expressed concern that, since funding of the school stabilization fund will be integrated into the school budget, the town might be forced to fund the school’s fund when it cannot fund its own.

The town also approved a measure to allow a member of the Select Board to serve as Emergency Management Director and another granting the Board of Health the authority to fine contractors who drill unsafe wells. Just before town meeting wrapped up after 5PM, the town passed an article authorizing the town to enter into discussions with other regional towns toward establishing a communication system to provide broadband services.

In the end, despite increases in school expenses and cuts in state funding, the budget approved yesterday came in at about $50,000 less than the amount spent in the past year. Though final figures are not yet available, residents will not see a savings on their tax rate and may see a slight increase. This is due to a reduction of other funding sources, primarily state funding.

David King