Why more transfers back to fire/EMS?

November 9, 2015 special town meeting transfer from fire/ems - $111,608.50

1.   Annual town meeting 5/21/2012 the fire dept. was given $376,417.00 from taxation

2.   Annual town meeting of 5/14/2013 fire dept. given $128,812.00 for firefighter/ems salary in               article #11, $201,417.00 from taxation and $160,000.00 from ambulance appropriation fund.               Special town meeting 3/29/2014 article #7, $57,000.00 was appropriated from ambulance                   appropriations for ambulance payment. Total budget for FY2014 $547,229.00 minus crisis                   amount of $17,000.00 equals $530,229.00.

3.   Annual Town meeting of 5/17/2014 fire dept. given $311,505.00 from taxation, along with
      $180,000.00 from ambulance appropriation fund in article #6. Total budget for FY2015
      equals $491,505.00. Ambulance payment of $57,000.00 was not appropriated.

4.   Annual Town meeting of 5/16/2015 fire dept. given $316,505 from taxation, along with
      $180,000.00 from ambulance appropriation fund in article #6 and $57,000.00 from the
      ambulance appropriation fund. Total budget for fiscal 2016 of $617,911.00.

5.   The budget draft from 3/30/15 showing a budget of $128,812.00 for the fire/ems salary
      from taxation. On the final approved budget you will see on the fire/ems ambulance service
      taxation of $180,000.00 instead of the $128,812.00. I thought this was a duplicate appropriation         for the ambulance fund out of the taxation budget. Therefore, feeling that I could take                           $111,608.50 from the salaries to cover snow & ice deficit.

After working on the reconciliation of the FY13 and FY14, there are many issues with how the taxation budget and ambulance appropriations have been done. On the attached spread sheet gives you a total breakdown of what fire has been given each year so you can see the increases in his budget from taxation, showing where I cam up with the $45,000.00 that would need to be given back.

This explanation is from the town accountant and shows the concerns of the Advisory Board concerning the 2017 budget draft. My concern that there is either not enough money to cover everything or the money is not applied correctly appears to have merit.

posted by Jeff Bennett