Finance board backs $2.9M
Published on April 28th, 2004
STONEHAM, MA - Revisiting a 5-4 endorsement for a reduced $1.5 to $2 million override, the town's Finance and Advisory Board reversed course and resubmitted its support for a $2.9 million amount in a 6-1 vote.
Motioning for the reconsideration while at the same time espousing his stance as a determined opponent of a $2.9 million override, Finance Board member Peter D'Angelo unsuccessfully lobbied for members to hold to a reduced figure.
"I told you what my sense is and the board can do whatever they feel is in their power to do. I can tell you this is one member who's going to get up at Town Meeting and tell the people why I think we should cut departments," said D'Angelo.
Explaining why he advocated for reconsidering a measure that could throw a wrench in a vote he supported, D'Angelo felt that any action taken by the Finance Board should be backed by a majority opinion. However, the veteran finance member and former town moderator argued that Stoneham's leadership needed to change the way they approach the town's financial well-being.
"I respect the opinion of the Finance Board, but as I said publicly for a number of reasons, we have to force the issue. We have to make structural changes to what we do and how we do it. And this is not the way to [change the way things are done] by supporting a $2.9 million override," D'Angelo said.
However, D'Angelo's case for a reduced override clashed with the reasoning of Finance Board member Jim Grayson, who contended that the passage of a $2.9 million figure this June would create a fiscal cushion enabling the town's leadership to enact the changes being advocated.
"Basically, I'm in support for the $2.9 million not because it's the perfect budget, because it isn't. It's just that if we have any chance at all of this coming through, we need to be united. And the $2.9 million would give us some breathing room," Grayson said. "I don't think anybody on this board disagrees that we need an override. We just don't agree on what that number should be."
Although virtually every board member took issue with the Selectmen's budget process and the way they arrived at their $2.9 million override figure, all six of the present board members (with the exception of D'Angelo) agreed that a united front was necessary if any override is to pass come June.
"I've had some second thoughts. I'm also not happy at the process and how they arrived at the $2.9 million because with the add-backs, you can't tell where the cuts are being made line item by line item. However, if we want this to pass, we can't be divided," Finance Board member Ben Caggiano argued.
"I'd like to see some changes also. I think sometimes, it just seems like they're giving away everything. But it's really going to confuse everybody as to what we're trying to accomplish," opined new Finance Board member Anne Mooney.
Although he would later vote in favor of supporting the larger override figure, Finance Board member Richard Gregorio echoed some of the concerns voiced by D'Angelo, primarily that nothing was accomplished by town officials over the past year to address the FY05 deficit.
"I'm going to say this and I realize with my passion that I'm going to upset people. We had this discussion a year ago to the exact day. And we as elected/appointed officials did nothing for one year. With the $2.9 million override, if it passes, what's going to change? Nothing," criticized Gregorio.
"What did they [the Selectmen] do last year? They formed a Revenue Generating Committee. And no offense to that committee because they did a lot of hard work, but they didn't accomplish anything to address the larger problems," the former Finance Board Chairman furthered. After being asked to identify exactly what town officials could change to slash expenses, D'Angelo proposed that the town adopt structural changes such as pooling department resources between towns, outsourcing jobs such as custodial services, and ceasing the practice of hiring part-time employees who gain pension and health benefits when full-time employees could accomplish more tasks and contribute more to those systems.
"You not only have to consider what's best for yourselves, but what's best for the process and for Town Meeting. I'm not sure how willing people are to accept some of those changes," opined Finance Board Chairman John Warren upon hearing the suggestions.
"They'll be resistance to changes for everything. You couldn't change the color of tissue paper in town without forming some committee on it," retorted D'Angelo.
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