Town finances on ‘slippery slope’

Annual town meeting to be held June 8

By Jonathan Cook

Turley Publications Reporter

WARREN – While agreement was scarce at last week’s open discussion of the annual town meeting warrant, one issue did find common ground – money is tight.

In a worksheet provided for those who attended the Tuesday night meeting inside the municipal gym, the town projects to be over its levy limit by Fiscal Year 2012.

According to the worksheet, the town has about $123,164 in free cash, $1,561,590 in stabilization, and sits $242,165 under its Proposition 2 1/2 levy limit.

Voters at the June 8 annual town meeting will be asked to provide the school district with $275,791 above minimum contribution. They will also have requests for $240,000 from their stabilization account. If they vote in favor of that spending, and state cuts are enacted as expected, the town will face the next budget year with less than $1,500,000 in savings between free cash and stabilization.

What’s more, the school is using a $153,535 American Recovery and Investment Act grant, and $413,865 from their Excess and Deficiency account to fund their budget. The worksheet states, “If these (or other) funds are not available for the next budget, just to level fund Quaboag’s budget for next year, Warren would have to match (their share of the difference) $346,227.”

In all, voters who turn out to Quaboag Middle High School at 7 p.m. have 36 articles to act on.

Of note is article 4, sponsored by the Board of Health, asking for $260,000. Half for a transfer station license, and half to complete the closure of the current landfill.

According to Board of Health member and Board of Selectmen Chair Bob Downing, “We are going to start (the transfer station) off with a minimal requirement to meet the minimal state standard, but in the long term the plan is to make the transfer station self supporting.” Trash will be taken on a pay-as-you-throw basis. “So the people who do use it will actually be supporting it,” said Downing.

He added, “We truly have one of the best recycling operations around, and if you recycle properly, there’s money to be made. Some of this stuff you can sell.”

When asked by resident Jim Fountain why the town doesn’t go to curbside pick up, Downing replied, “People who have curb service don’t have the opportunity to recycle that they should have.”

To that, Fountain said, “We’re cutting everywhere. I think the landfill should be considered.”

Meanwhile, the Finance Committee provided a budget booklet with a set of numbers that differs from what the selectmen are working with.

As West Warren Librarian Sue Tower pointed out, “You’ve cut us back to $47,000. Were supposed to be level funded ($49,000) and you cut us anyway. Even though you announced town wide tonight that we were level funded, there is a cut in our budget from last year.”

The discrepancy became clear when Board of Selectmen member David Delanski said, “You’re asking the wrong board.” Then Finance Committee Chair Susan Como indicated that the cuts were in her committee’s recommended budget. Senior Center Director Armand Dimo noticed a reduction in his department, too.

According to the first page of the Finance Committee’s booklet, “Once again many of our major revenue accounts that we collect were reduced in some cases by as much as 10 percent.” Also, it was noted that “If we receive news of more cuts, services will be affected.”

Article 15 asks for appropriations for a $375,000 fire truck, but the Capital Planning and Improvement Committee offered it with the support of a split vote.

Article 20 outlaws leaving dog feces on any property but the owner’s. Also, “No person . . . shall appear with such dog . . . without the means of removal of any feces.” Disposal in town trash barrels and storm drains is prohibited, enforced by a $25 fine for first offense and $50 thereafter.

Before recessing the meeting, Downing summed up, “We just can’t afford everything. We haven’t seen the worst of this economy yet. We’re still on a slippery slope, and we’ve got some hard decisions to make.”