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| ARTICLE 16: | APPROPRIATE FOR TAX WORK-OFF PROGRAM |
MOVED That the Town vote to raise and appropriate $5,000 for the purpose of conducting a tax work-off program, said sum to be spent under the direction of the Board of Selectmen and raised from the tax levy.
Discussion 7:42 - 7:52, May 7: Mr. William Powers of the Board of Selectmen spoke about the tax write-off program. It allows qualified senior citizens to work up to 100 hours to offset their tax bill at a rate of $5 per hour. Even though there are applicants who do not meet the strict qualifications, there are still more applicants than the budget supports. Every office in which these people have worked has felt they are a great benefit.
Mr. Thomas Hannigan, Chairman of the Finance Committee spoke against adjusting the amounts of articles such as this which do not come under budget scrutiny.
| ARTICLE 17: | APPROPRIATE FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION DAY |
MOVED That the Town vote to raise and appropriate $20,000 for the purpose of conducting a hazardous waste collection day, said sum to be spent under the direction of the Board of Selectmen and raised from the tax levy.
| ARTICLE 18: | APPROPRIATE FOR OIL TANK REMOVAL |
MOVED That the Town vote to raise and appropriate $5,000 for the purpose of removing an underground oil tank at 83 Pickering Street (Stephen Palmer Center), said sum to be spent under the direction of the Municipal Building Maintenance Board and raised from the tax levy.
| ARTICLE 19: | APPROPRIATE FOR CONSULTING SERVICES: ELECTRIC DEREGULATION |
MOVED That the Town vote to raise and appropriate $10,000 for consulting services to study electric deregulation in the Town, to be spent under the direction of the Board of Selectmen and raised from the tax levy.
| ARTICLE 20: | APPROPRIATE THE FY98 OPERATING BUDGET |
MOVED That the Town vote to raise and appropriate for the necessary Town expenses and charges. FY98 Operating Budget recommendations
Discussion 8:05 - 10:48, May 7:
Budget Report of the Finance Committee
Mr. Thomas Hannigan, chairman, reported on the budget. Much of what he said is contained the the Finance Committee's Annual Report. This year saw an unusual increase in revenue available for appropriation of 5.4%. The influences that caused this are not likely to repeat, namely
They have been able to make one additional recommendation since the budget was printed in February. This is to move $260,000 from the Finance Committee Reserve (line 211) to the school salaries (line 301). This will enable the schools to
The budgeting process is also described in the report. They asked for level-funded budgets from each department and for indications of what would be in a level-service budget and what size budget would properly, in the department's opinion, deliver an appropriate level of service. Most departments this year received more than a level-funded budget. These increases included:
This year was relatively easy even though the services provided are less than last year. No one can predict next year's budgetary problem except that eductation will continue to be squeezed by:
Discussion of Budget Lines
Line 021 - Minuteman Vocational Assessment
The budgeted amount is deliberately lower than has been asked for by the Minuteman District. If six of the sixteen towns of the district effectively defeat the budget by appropriating less than is asked for (which happend last year), the district must make a different budget. Dr. Ronald Fitzgerald, Superintendent of Minuteman asked for a motion to raise the assessment to $539,693, but no such motion was offerred. Mr. James Healy of the Finance Committee spoke on the reasons to deny the full appropriation. Their spending does not have the controls on it that ours does due to Proposition 2½; our only recourse to keep costs down is to join with other towns in defeating their budget until they can keep their increases to acceptable limits.
Various issues including Needham's high percentage of Special education students in the Minuteman district, the possible problems with our voting down their budget, the need to realize that their per-pupil costs are necessarily higher than ours, whether or not the appropriation should be in the school budget, whether or not the Minuteman district is spending all the money it receives each year, and the quality of the paper they use in their copy machines were addressed by numerous speakers including Paul Denver, chairman of the School Committee.
Line 301 - Education, Salaries
Concerning the additional $260,000 that the Finance Committee was able to add to this line item, Ms. Lois Bacon, Trustee of the Public Library, asked how many departments were level-funded and how the Finance Committee decided where to apply this money. Mr. Thomas Hannigan, chairman of the Finance Committee said that fewer than half of the departments were level-funded and that they did not discuss a pro-rata distribution.
Mr. Paul Denver, chairman of the School Committee and Dr. Patricia Ruane, Superintendent, discussed the procedure that was used to generate the budget, starting with an amount that they knew could not be supported by the Finance Committee and working down through prioitizing until they agreed to a figure. The additional money will be used for the highest-priority items that were not previously supported.
Mr. Marvin Walter asked if the schools are able to move special education students back to regular education. Ms. Ruane believed that some students were being moved but did not have details available.
Various "Purchse of Service" Lines:
Mr. Everett Hicks questioned the use and the increase of this line in several departmental budgets. Mr. Thomas Hannigan, chairman of the Finance Committee answered these questions. In general, it is used for energy expenditures and all work performed by outside contractors such as repair, road construction, etc. Mr. Hannigan was able to explain the special circumstances of each increase.
| ARTICLE 21: | APPROPRIATE THE FY98 WATER ENTERPRISE FUND BUDGET |
MOVED That the Town vote to raise and appropriate from water receipts or transfer from the water enterprise fund the following sums of money to operate the Water Division of the DPW during fiscal year 1998; under the provision of G.L. Chapter 44, Section 53F½:
| Expended
FY96 | Appropriated
FY97 |
Recommended
FY98 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 908 | Salaries | $488,473 | 518,199 | 531,415 |
| 909 | Purchase of Services | 225,949 | 229,891 | 242,598 |
| 910 | Expenses | 154,230 | 201,255 | 201,255 |
| 911 | Capital Outlay | 16,780 | 103,500 | 66,741 |
| 912 | MWRA Assessment | 120,455 | 249,839 | 249,839 |
| 913 | Emergency Repairs | 34,708 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
| 914 | Debt Service | 242,579 | 315,000 | 493,870 |
| TOTAL | 1,283,174 | 1,667,684 | 1,835,718 | |
| line 908 | $544,560 |
| line 909 | $242,598 |
| line 911 | $52,500 |
| line 914 | $484,120 |
Disscusion 8:16 - 8:30, May 12: He asked that we hold discussion of capital aspects of water and sewer budgets until the capital articles come on the floor. In response to a question from Mr. George Trarallo, he said debt service has increased in recent years, but a change in accounting in 1997 makes it more conspicuous. He also explained transfers into the general fund from the water and sewer enterprise funds-these are for Services.
| ARTICLE 22: | APPROPRIATE THE FY98 WASTEWATER ENTERPRISE FUND BUDGET (SEWER) |
MOVED That the Town vote to raise and appropriate from wastewater receipts or transfer from the wastewater enterprise fund the following sums of money to operate the Sewer Division of the DPW during fiscal year 1998; under the provisions of G.L. Chapter 44, Section 53F½:
| Expended
FY96 | Appropriated
FY97 |
Recommended
FY98 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 901 | Salaries | $332,547 | 413,693 | 414,947 |
| 902 | Purchase of Service | 93,179 | 94,779 | 104,696 |
| 903 | Expenses | 54,429 | 59,300 | 59,300 |
| 904 | Capital Outlay | 0 | 0 | 56,763 |
| 905 | MWRA Assessment | 3,468,741 | 3,600,488 | 3,660,488 |
| 906 | Emergency Repairs | 31,940 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| 907 | Debt Service | 688,986 | 515,000 | 729,582 |
| TOTAL | 4,669,822 | 4,703,260 | 5,045,776 | |
| line 901 | $425,196 |
| line 902 | $104,696 |
| line 904 | $30,000 |
| line 905 | $3,660,488 |
| line 907 | $734,082 |
| ARTICLE 23: | CONTINUE REVOLVING FUND - SCHOOL BUSING |
MOVED That the Town vote to continue a revolving fund account pursuant to the provisions of G.L. Chapter 44, Section 53E½ for the revenues and expenditures from the School Department Fee-Based Busing Program and authorize the School Committee, through the Superintendent, to expend money from such fund in the amount of $110,000 in fiscal year 1998.
Summary of MGL Chapter 44, Section 53E½: A revolving fund established under the provisions of G.L. Chapter 44, Section 53E½ must be authorized annually by vote of the Town Meeting. The Town Meeting may authorize the use of one or more revolving funds by one or more municipal agencies, boards, departments or offices which fund shall be accounted for separately from all other monies in the Town. The fund shall be credited with only the departmental receipts received in connection with the programs supported by such revolving fund and expenditures may be made from the revolving fund without further appropriation, subject to the provisions of Section 53E½.
The annual Town Meeting authorization for each revolving fund shall specify:
- the programs and purposes for which the revolving fund may be expended;
- the departmental receipts which shall be credited to the revolving fund;
- the board, department or officer authorized to expend from such fund; and
- a limit on the amount which may be expended from such fund in the ensuing year.
In any fiscal year the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee may approve an increase in the amount to be spent from the revolving fund, but in no event shall any agency, board, department or officer be authorized to expend in any one fiscal year more than one percent of the amount raised by the Town by taxation in the most recent fiscal year for which a tax rate has been certified pursuant to MGL. Chapter 59, section 23.
Said agency, board, department or office shall report annually to the Town Meeting or Board of Selectmen as provided by Section 53E½.
At the close of a fiscal year in which a revolving fund is not reauthorized for the following year or in which the Town changes the purpose for which money may be spent the following year, the balance shall revert to surplus revenue unless the Annual Town Meeting votes to transfer such balance to another revolving fund.
| ARTICLE 24: | CONTINUE REVOLVING FUND - MEMORIAL PARK |
MOVED That the Town vote to continue a revolving fund account pursuant to the provisions of G.L. Chapter 44, Section 53E½ for the revenues from Memorial Park food concessions, said funds to be used for improvements to the Memorial Park and to authorize the Memorial Park Trustees to expend money from said fund in fiscal year 1998 in the amount of $4,100.
Summary of MGL Chapter 44, Section 53E½: See summary for Article 23.
| ARTICLE 25: | CONTINUE REVOLVING FUND - LOCAL TRANSPORTATION |
MOVED That the Town vote to continue a revolving fund account pursuant to the provisions of G.L. Chapter 44, Section 53E½ for the revenues and expenditures associated with local transportation including grant revenues from the MBTA Suburban Transportation Program and authorize the Board of Selectmen, through the Town Administrator, to expend money from such fund in fiscal year 1998 in the amount of $40,000.
Summary of MGL Chapter 44, Section 53E½: See summary for Article 23.
| ARTICLE 26: | CONTINUE REVOLVING FUND: YARD WASTE PROCESSING PROGRAM |
MOVED That the Town vote to continue a revolving fund account pursuant to the provisions of G.L. Chapter 179 of the Acts of 1993 for the revenues and expenditures associated with the Yard Waste Processing Program and to authorize the Board of Selectmen, through the Director of Public Works, to expend money from said fund in fiscal year 1998 in the amount of $75,000.
Summary of Chapter 179 of the Acts of 1993: This law authorizes the creation of an intergovernmental revolving fund by a town that is the lead community in the operation of a multi-community yard waste processing or recycling program. For a lead community to create the fund, its board of selectmen must vote to authorize it, must establish a limit on the total amount which may be spent from the fund for the first fiscal year and must designate the department responsible for operating the yard waste processing or recycling program. For future fiscal years the local appropriating body will set the annual spending limit and designate the responsible department. The spending limit may be increased during the course of any fiscal year with the approval of the board of selectmen.
Participating communities will appropriate funds for the purposes of the yard waste processing or recycling program and will pay them over to the treasurer of the lead community. Any other receipts generated in connection with the program will also be credited to the fund. Monies in the fund may be spent without appropriation for the operation of the program, but no expenditures may be made or obligations incurred in excess of the actual monies received and credited to the fund, nor of the approved spending limit for the year. The balance in the fund at the end of the fiscal year will carry forward into the next year. An annual report on the operation of the fund is to be prepared by the accounting officer, reviewed by the board of selectmen, and forwarded to the Bureau of Accounts.
| ARTICLE 27: | CONTINUE REVOLVING FUND -- HOME COMPOSTING BIN ACCOUNT |
MOVED That the Town vote to continue a revolving fund account pursuant to the provisions of G.L. Chapter 44, Section 53E½ for the revenues and expenditures associated with the sale of home composting bins and authorize the Board of Selectmen, through the Director of Public Works, to expend money from such fund in fiscal year 1998 in the amount of $2,900 for the purchase of additional bins and related costs.
| ARTICLE 28: | ACCEPT G.L. CHAPTER 73, SECTION 4 OF THE ACTS OF 1986 - (CONTINUATION OF INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION LIMITS) |
MOVED That the Town vote to accept, for fiscal year 1998, the provisions of Section 4 of Chapter 73 of the Acts of 1986, as amended by Chapter 126 of the Acts of 1988, which amends Chapter 59 of the General Laws relative to real estate property tax exemptions and approve an increase in the amount of 20% for each eligible exemption.
Summary of Chapter 73, Section 4 of the Acts of 1986: Town Meeting approval of the additional exemption, as well as application for the exemption by the taxpayer, must be made annually. Approval was first granted by the May 1993 Town Meeting. Acceptance of Section 4 of Chapter 73 of the Acts of 1986, as amended by Chapter 126 of the Acts of 1988, permits the Town to grant an additional exemption to certain taxpayers who are surviving spouses, surviving minors of deceased parents, persons over the age of 70, certain veterans and disabled veterans and their surviving spouses, parents of veterans who died in wartime service and blind individuals, and who qualify for an exemption under any one of the following clauses of Section 5 of Chapter 59 of the General Laws:
Clauses 17, 17C, 17D, 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 22E, 37, 37A, 41, 41B, 41C, 42, or 43.The additional exemption shall be uniform for all exemptions but shall not exceed one hundred percent of a taxpayers original exemption. No taxpayer may pay less tax than paid on the preceding year, except through the application of General Laws, Chapter 58, Section 8A or Chapter 59, Section 5, clause 18. The taxable valuation of the taxpayer's property shall not be less than ten percent of its fair cash value.
| ARTICLE 29: | AUTHORIZATION TO EXPEND STATE FUNDS FOR WAYS |
MOVED That the Town vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to permanently construct, reconstruct, resurface, alter or make specific repairs upon all or portions of various Town Ways and authorize the expenditure of $699,275 provided or to be provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the Massachusetts Highway Department.
| ARTICLE 30: | AUTHORIZE INTERMUNICIPAL AGREEMENT -- BOARD OF ASSESSORS |
MOVED That the Town vote to authorize the Board of Assessors to enter into an intermunicipal agreement for the provision and support services for the Town's computerized assessment system, approve Intermunicipal Agreement regarding Assessors Computer System to be paid from the Assessor's Office expense obligation.
Summary of MGL Chapter 40, Section 4A: This law requires Town Meeting approval prior to entering into an intermunicipal (multi-town) agreement. Approval of this Article will enable the Board of Assessors to provide continued support to the computer assisted mass appraisal system (CAMA) originally provided to the Town by the Department of Revenue (DOR). This intermunicipal agreement will provide for the updating of the CAMA software. Approximately 80 municipalities will participate in this agreement. The annual cost to the Town will be $1,500.
| ARTICLE 31: | ACCEPT MGL CHAPTER 71 OF THE ACTS OF 1996 (VETERAN'S RETIREMENT INCENTIVE LEGISLATION) |
MOVED That the Town vote to accept MGL, Chapter 71 of the Acts of 1996.
Summary of Chapter 71 of the Acts of 1996: This law allows town employees who have completed ten or more years of creditable service and who are veterans to purchase up to four years of creditable service corresponding to their period of active service in the armed forces.
| ARTICLE 32: | TRANSFER OF UNDESIGNATED FUND BALANCE |
MOVED That the Town vote to transfer $2,301,407 from the Undesignated Fund Balance Account (Free Cash) to meet, in part, appropriations made at this Town Meeting, and to authorize the Board of Assessors to use such sum as available funds to meet appropriations in their computation of the tax rate for the fiscal year 1998.
