Voting Over, Pay Attention
Jun 10, 2010 – Well folks now that the voting is over the voters need to pay attention to every action the town manager and the board of selectmen act on. We just authorized the use of undesignated funds to supplement the town budget to the approximate percent of 15%. This 15% is the town's savings being depleted to support the town's expenses. This practice is as dangerous as any. We have a budget of $3.3 Million to operate the town and almost one half million dollars came from savings. How long can we operate like this? Since the town manager has been here we have gone in the hole more and more every year. With about three million dollars in the undesignated fund chair Libby says we are safe according to the town Auditor but I suggest we are in a dangerous slide. The minimum the Auditor says we need in reserve was about one and a half million dollars. So if we use the average of $2.3 million as a safe balance for the UDF we can afford to support the town budget for two more years than hang on. At the rate the budget committee and administration are recommending spending, our taxes are going to SOAR in the near future. We will not only have to make up a half million dollars that will not be available to subsidize the town expenses but be taxed to remain at the fund balance that the chairman says is safe. Look at the towns budgets and I am sure you will arrive at the same conclusion.
While I would like nothing more than save the assessors position, the next years budget will present far more reductions than that or much higher taxes. To relate to using the UDF, if you can't afford your own budget and draw from your savings to live how long can one continue to live at the same standard of living before drying up your savings. Any expenditure moving forward must be scrutinized carefully. An example of this is a small amount that that selectmen recommend to fund the ADA handicap access to the basketball court. The funds they recommend come from the recreation committee budget of 2010, last years' budget. In front of the CIP committee when questioned of funds available for this project there were no funds, and when the town manager related to gentleman requesting handicap access in writing he states there are no funds. These left over funds would normally return to the undesignated fund. There are funds available in the Capital Improvement Reserve Fund, that is where we have monies in for that kind of project already funded by previous taxes. This is the kind of thinking that needs to change.
We just can't afford the current leadership guiding our monies. The town manager and the selectmen need to show total restraint in funding pet projects. Drilling wells for over $60,000.00 for a water supply the town voters haven't approved, rebuilding the fair grounds with no end design in sight of what that property will be used for, a study changing route 100 to by pass upper corner at the tune of about $10,000.00 spent. Spending $13,000 to redesign the lower village complex. These are projects at the right time could be qualified but future restraint must be followed, if not higher taxes are the only alternative.
Roger Levasseur
New Gloucester
