Subject: Advisory Committee Recommendations
The proposed operating budget for Fiscal 2017 with Advisory Committee recommendations is attached.
Their approach is based upon a reduction in expected revenue from New Growth. For Fiscal 2016, new growth brought in an additional $94,000. In the prior year, it was $69,000.
I estimated new growth producing an additional $80,000 in revenue for FY'17. Thought that this was a conservative estimate, below the current year, in an economy that is doing better. The Advisory Committee cut the expected new growth revenue to $50,000, and they reduce the Town Administrator salary to $52,000 from $80,000 and they reduce the line item for wage and salary adjustments from $35,000 to $12,000 while giving a raise to the Deputy Assessor, the only Town employee given a raise directly in the budget of the Advisory Committee.
Assessors are always ultra-conservative about estimating new growth. Have never encountered Assessors who do it differently. If our Assessors stand up at Town Meeting and support the lower number, the ATM will likely go along with Advisory Committee recommendations. Singling out their Deputy Assessor for a raise will likely increase the pressure on the Assessors to support the AC new growth figure.
The BoS and I have supported a higher salary for the Deputy Assessor during the past year. Her salary in FY'15 was $43K. She was given two increases in FY'16 that brought her salary to $54K, and she was given an additional $2K in t our FY'17 budget. Luanne is an excellent employee and she deserves a good salary. I question why a $12K increase over two fiscal years is inadequate. Is the AC attempting to influence the Assessors to support for their view of new growth?
I had $25,000 in the Selectmen's budget for raises for non-unionized employees. It was raised to $35,000 in case we need to increase the Fire Chief's salary during recruitment. The current Chief is paid $64K. I put $70K in the FY'17 budget and an additional $10 buried in the BoS budget in case we need it.
Also, the BoS has said that they want to recruit a permanent T.A. during Fiscal '17. Why reduce the T.A. salary in the budget when it will have to be raised back to $80K or beyond during recruitment?
Kelli said that Jeff Bennett prevailed upon the AC to raise the budget for Veterans Benefits to $95K. Not sure why. AC supports the revolving fund which will use state reimbursements to fund Veterans Benefits.
Rm
posted by Jeff Bennett
