To:           Board of Selectmen
From:       Carter Terenzini, Town Administrator
RE:          FY'17 Fall Town Meeting
Date:        September 9, 2016

CC:          N/A

Attached is the latest draft of the warrant for the fall Town meeting. It has three articles added since draft#1. The first deals with the allocation of the CPA surcharge in anticipation that we can get to an audit for FY' 14 this fiscal year. The second deals with separating out the scholarship fund from the operating budget. The third deals with an article to deal with the acquisition of the drainage and maintenance easement related to the drainage on Wellington Road presented during discussion of the proposed elementary school. A final draft will be presented for your action on 09/26. In order to prepare that final draft there are several matters for which I need your direction. Those are:

Revenues; Is it your intent to reduce your FY'17 estimates? The open issues are:

                  New growth was estimated at $80,000.00. Figures of $60,000.00 and $65,000.00 have
                  been used in discussions as perhaps being more appropriate. So far, it is in the area of
                  $67,000.00. It is anticipated there may be another $10K in "supplemental" tax bills
                  this year. While I do believe I can get the original estimate through DOR, the question
                  becomes if you want to stretch to do so?


                  Excise Tax: was estimated at $110,000.00. Collections for the latest fiscal year are                                                                      approximately $1,055,000.00. Trends and billings show we could probably hit the original
                  estimates. At present I cannot, I do need some decisions from the board. While I do
                  believe I can get the original estimate through DOR, the question becomes if you want
                  to stretch to do so?

Bond Issue:  We need to provide for a payment of $87,500.00 to settle the outstanding debt on 252 Baldwinville. We have suggested we cover this with a withdrawal from stabilization. The question becomes if you want to withdraw these monies from stabilization or not.

OPEB: had been part of your FY"17 planning, although there had been no formal appropriation. The question becomes if you want to withdraw these monies from stabilization or not?

With answers to these questions, we can proceed to know if we need to make any cuts to departmental budgets to comport those operating budget to the revenue budget.

So, selectmen, will you propose to spend more than has been brought in, raised, etc.? Do you propose to spend more than you have or do you reduce to cover your goofs? Remember, one selectmen says "we are solving issues, they aren't"  Perhaps too much flouride!


posted by Jeff Bennett