Override number eludes officials
Published on February 25th, 2004
STONEHAM, MA - The override discussion and FY2005 budget deliberation -- otherwise known as Stoneham's never-ending story -- ushered in another chapter at this past week's Board of Selectmen meeting as they voted to rescind their previous override vote, and made plans for more discussion.
The first order of business for the Selectmen was to rescind a favorable vote on an approximately $1 million debt exclusion override, and an approximately $1.6 million Proposition 2 1/2 override voted on at the Feb. 11 Summit meeting. According to Town Counsel Bill Solomon, the "override was a legitimate attempt by the board", but that it didn't fall within the legal parameters of the debt exclusion override.
Basically, according to Solomon ,a debt exclusion override needs to be for a specific work such as financing for a specific earmarked purpose such as a new school or property purchase.
So, instead the Selectmen sparred with Finance and Advisory Board Chairman John Warren over the next step. Warren maintained that more summit meetings concerning the deficit and a possible override need to be scheduled, and that town officials must gain a more accurate idea of the town's deficit.
Warren had placed the town's shortfall number at $5.9 million at Monday night's Finance and Advisory Board meeting, and continued to trumpet the importance of protecting the stabilization and reserve funds.
"Without a better understanding of why a $3.9 million budget deficit was used for the base of the override, we are unable to support the action of the Selectmen on Feb 11," wrote Warren in a memo submitted to the Selectman on Tuesday. "Is it possible for both boards to discuss this before March 1."
Selectmen Tony Kennedy expressed surprise and a touch of annoyance at the differing deficit figures floating through the town.
"I have heard and discussed and agreed with a deficit figure of $3.9 million, $5 million and now $5.9 million," said Kennedy. "We really can't keep throwing numbers around like this...I mean where does this $5.9 million number even come from?"
Kennedy implored the assembled town officials to stick with the $3.9 million deficit number that had been previously discussed, and hinted that he would have endorsed a full $2.6 million Proposition 2 1/2 override.
"How long are we going to have this hanging over the town employees' heads and not let them know where they stand," said Kennedy. "Why do we need to keep having meetings about this?"
Selectman Cosmo Ciccarello implored the Board to start making the cuts to the FY2005 budget immediately and warned that override passage was certainly not imminent.
"I handed in my cuts to (Town Administrator) Dave Berry and I think it's time to start making cuts," said Ciccarello. "An override isn't going to pass, so we better start to make cuts."
Selectman Chairman Mary Pecoraro advocated holding more summit meetings to gain a clearer sense of where potential cuts can be made.
"I have no definite list of cuts that I'm ready to implement," said Pecoraro. "My cuts were cast in pencil."
Solomon outlined a possible override plan in which the Selectmen will present a contingent budget at May Town Meeting in which there will be a standard town budget, with a second contingent section that will contain items financed by the proposed override funds.
"It's semantics, but it's essentially one budget in which you will have two sections," said Solomon of the "menu-type" override presentation. "On the left will be the barebones budget, and on the right will be the items contingent upon an override."
The Selectmen voted to continue their budget discussion on Thursday by inviting assorted department heads (Town Clerk, Town Accountant, Assessors' Office, Town Treasurer. MIS/GIS, Whip Hill Manor, Community Planning and Development, Building Department and Unicorn Recreation) to the Thursday night Selectmen meeting to discuss the potential cuts.
One thing that seems to be certain is that several cooks have now entered the kitchen, and the budget is beginning to become a collaborative process.
"I really can't say what cuts are going to be made, as the Selectmen have really taken the ball with budget," said Berry, who estimated the town deficit to be in the $5.5 million range.
"I could have been a little more conservative with my town receipt estimates and placed more money in reserve funds, but I think my numbers were reasonable," said Berry when asked about the disparate deficit numbers.
Selectmen and Finance and Advisory Board members agreed to meet next Tuesday to further discuss the path of the FY2005 budget. As the May 3 Town Meeting date nears, it becomes more possible that a town budget will not be hammered out until 7:30 p.m. just prior to the residents of Stoneham filing into Town Hall -- just as it happened last year.
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