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Town of Lunenburg. Annual Town Meeting May 3, 2008. Special Town Meeting- Article 1. FY2008 Budget Adjustment & Supplemental Appropriation Article Major Components: Snow & Ice Deficit- $210,000 Legal Expenses- $42,280 Funding for Ritter Memorial Library Renovation.
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Town of Lunenburg Annual Town Meeting May 3, 2008
Special Town Meeting-Article 1 • FY2008 Budget Adjustment & Supplemental Appropriation Article • Major Components: • Snow & Ice Deficit- $210,000 • Legal Expenses- $42,280 • Funding for Ritter Memorial Library Renovation
Special Town Meeting-Article 1 • Transfer from:
Special Town Meeting-Article 1 • Transfer to:
Special Town Meeting-Article 1- Ritter Renovations • In March 2008, the Board of Selectmen authorized CAFO to proceed with plans for the conversion of Ritter Memorial Library into Municipal Office Space • Based upon work flow & primary office interaction, it was decided that the best use of the space was for Land Use Related Department.
Special Town Meeting-Article 1- Ritter Renovations • Planning • Building Inspection • Conservation • Board of Health • Zoning Board of Appeals • Sewer (potential)
Special Town Meeting-Article 1- Ritter Renovations • Plan alleviates overcrowding at Town Hall & Brooks House • Centralizes Land Use Offices for convenience of the public • 695 square feet of additional meeting space- 2 rooms • A copy of the proposed layout is included in the handouts • Project funded through a combination of existing funds and re-appropriation of unused capital funds. NO NEW MONEY Requested
Special Town Meeting-Article 2 • Request for $30,000 appropriation for expenses of the Regional School District Planning Committee
Special Town Meeting-Article 3 • Request for appropriation from Free Cash to make payment on a legal bill received in FY2008 for services rendered in FY2007 • $5,323.00
Special Town Meeting-Article 4 • Request for funding for Public Safety Telecommunications Unit, Teamsters Local #170 (Dispatchers) • New Contract includes: • Increasing number of steps from 2 to 4 • 3% COLA per year • Increase in shift differential rate of $0.05/ hour • Increase in Uniform Allowance of $50/year
Special Town Meeting-Article 4 • Total Contract Costs of Prior Year • FY2008 = $5,441 • FY2009 = $4,815 • FY2010 = $7,278
Article 1- Hear Town Reports • Master Plan Review
Article 2- AFSCME (Clerical) Contract • Pass Over • No agreement reached at this time
Article 3- IBPO (Police)Contract • Pass Over • No agreement reached at this time
Article 4- PFFM (Firefighters) Contract • Pass Over • No agreement reached at this time
Article 5- Salary Administration Plan • 2% COLA recommended by the Personnel Committee • Last COLA authorized in FY2005 • Salary Administration Plan covers 14 regular (FT or PT) employees plus all call Firefighters • Cost impact = $10,500
Article 6- Authorize BOS to increase PAYT fees • The Town operates a PAYT Program, including recycling, through a private hauler • 3,200 of 3,800 household participate • Program is funded through bag sales & a General Fund Appropriation • General Fund appropriation $80K (included in Omnibus Budget- Article 7) • Bag fees will be raised $0.50/ bag
Article 6- Authorize BOS to increase PAYT fees • Based upon current cost and program usage, it is necessary to raise bag fees $0.50 to: • $1.50 per small bag • $2.50 per large bag
Article 7- FY2009 Budget • Balanced, providing a level of service which is comparable to the level of service currently provided. • Higher, more comprehensive level of service in Technology • Higher, more comprehensive level of service in Education
FY2009 Recommendation • Funding to cover all contractual salary increases • Funding to cover all salary increases due SAP employees • Balanced budget proposal is based upon use of recurring revenues for operating costs, meaning there is NO request for a draw on either Free Cash or the Stabilization Fund • Non-recurring revenues are set aside for one-time, capital purchases
FY2009- Revenue Estimates • Sources of Revenue • Property Tax • State Aid/ Cherry Sheet • Local Receipts • Available Funds
FY2009 Revenue Estimates • Property Tax • Base= $15,368,583 • 2 ½% Increase= $ 384,215 • New Growth= $ 175,000 • Debt Exclusion= $ 1,024,784 • Total= $16,952,582
FY2009 Revenue Estimates • New Growth
FY2009 Revenue Estimates • State Aid/ Cherry Sheet • Education Aid • Chapter 70 • Charter School Assessment Reimbursement • General Government Aid • Lottery • Reimbursements for Quinn Bill & Property Tax Exemptions • Library • State Owned Land (PILOT)
FY2009 Revenue Estimates • State Aid/ Cherry Sheet • Leadership announces local aid resolution Tuesday, March 11 2008 House and Senate leadership announced yesterday that they have reached agreement on local aid amounts for fiscal 2009, proposing a 4.4 percent increase in the three major categories: Chapter 70 school funding, Lottery aid, and Additional Assistance. • $6,586,064, over 4.6% increase over FY2008
FY2009 Revenue Estimates • Local Receipts • Motor Vehicle Excise Tax, licenses, permits, fees, fines, investment income • Elastic Revenues- very dependant upon the economy • MVX is the largest component; first indication of what is happening is through Commitment #1, issued in February • Commitment was flat (good news!)
FY2009 Revenue Estimates • Local Receipts • Ambulance Receipts • Building Permit Revenue • Investment Income • Overall Projection is a modest increase of $45,000 or 1.87%
FY2009 Revenue Estimates • Available Funds • Catch All Category • Some one-time revenues, causing a wide variance from year to year • SBA Reimbursement - $586,561 • Lower than prior years due to audit completion • Sewer Betterments • Fully fund associated debt service & related costs • Sewer Enterprise Fund to fund Indirect Costs
FY2009 Expenditures • Expenditures are divided into: • Functional Categories (Omnibus Budget) • Non-Appropriated Costs • Sewer Enterprise Fund (self supporting) • Water Enterprise Fund (self-supporting) • Solid Waste Disposal Enterprise Fund • Other Warrant Articles with a Financial Impact
FY2009 Expenditures-Maturing Debt • Debt financing is the primary means of financing large capital projects in Lunenburg. • The use of debt allows the Town to afford the construction of large scale, capital assets in a systematic & planned manner.
FY2009 Expenditures-Maturing Debt • Goals of Debt Management • To achieve the best possible true interest cost associated with debt • To maintain the highest credit rating possible • To keep the average weighted maturities of outstanding debt as low as possible to allow for the issuance of new debt as the need arises.
FY2009 Expenditures-General Government Unclassified • The Unclassified category is a catch all for costs associated for special services or for costs unallocated elsewhere in the budget, the largest of which is for employee benefits. • Other items budgeted for here include: Historical Commission, Band Concerts, Regional Planning, General Insurance & Reserve Funds
FY2009 Expenditures-General Government Unclassified • The Town purchases health insurance for all active & retired employees through MIIA. • FY2009 renewal rate reflects an increase of only 3.7%, this coupled with the negotiated reduction in the Town’s share from 82.5% to 80% resulted in an overall increase of $4,351.
FY2009 Expenditures-General Government Unclassified • Finance Committee Reserve Account has been reduced $10,000 to $70,000 due to the fact that great effort has gone in to determining realistic funding levels for all programs and services included in this budget recommendation • Salary Reserve Account is $89,500 • Total Request: $2,205,842
FY2009 Expenditures-General Government • General Government • Administrative, Financial & Planning Offices of the Town • Total spending is recommended at $1,237,559, which is an increase of $3,880 over FY2008 • Elimination of extra clerical hours for special projects in the offices of CAFO, BOS, Assessor, Tax Collector & Town Clerk
FY2009 Expenditures-General Government • General Government • Cuts were necessary to make funding of updated elements of the Master Plan and an a new FT Technology Assistant position possible • Additional funds were set aside to increase the current support services contract for Police related software from business hours to 24/7
FY2009 Expenditures-Central Purchasing • Central Purchasing is the cost center used to track costs that are not easily allocated among departments, such as utility costs and equipment and maintenance costs, generally for Town Hall Offices. • Total spending is recommended at $47,200, a reduction of $17,000
FY2009 Expenditures-Central Purchasing • Central Purchasing • Reduction comes in 2 areas: • Office Equipment Maintenance- recognizing that we have instituted a regular replacement plan for computers, printers & copiers • Telephone Charges- to come in line with historical spending levels
FY2009 Expenditures-Police • Police • Staffing Levels • Chief of Police • 1 Lieutenant • 3 Sergeants • 1 Detective • 6 Patrol Officers • 1 Traffic Officer • 1 Administrative Assistant • 14 Reserve Officers