Budget Presentations Continue
This week the City Council heard from the following departments regarding their requests for funding:
Budget Forecasting and Presentation
Mayor
Tax Collector
Assessor
Treasurer
Auditor
All budgeted at least a 2 percent increase in their budgets.
From the mayor’s letter to the public:
“Summary of Notable Budget Changes
In this budget, notable changes include but are not limited to:
- Increases in salaries throughout the budget per negotiated union contracts.
- 2% COLA increases for non-union employees reflected in the Schedule A of the City Ordinances, and salary adjustments in the Legal Department, Personnel Department, Assessor’s Department, and the Auditor’s Department.
- Retirement: Board demanding an increase of 4.65% or $584,545. Totaling our retirement budget at $13,147,588.
- Schools: local contribution to the schools increased by 5.23% or $1,187,772.37. Totaling a net city cost of $23,888,559.71.
- Health insurance– 9% increase or $661,859. Totaling $13,746,739.
- Debt Service: decrease by $325,000.
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- one administrative assistant level FTE [Full Time Equivelant] position in the City Clerk Office.
- one administrative assistant level FTE position in the Office and Planning and Economic Development.
- one administrative assistant level .5 FTE position at the Building Department.
- three FTE HMEO positions at the DPW.
- two FTE Park Maintenance positions at the DPW.
- two Building Maintenance positions.
- two FTE Tree Climber positions at the DPW.
- three FTE Patrol Officer positions at the Police Department.
- one FTE Deputy Chief position at the Fire Department.
- one FTE Investigator position at the Veteran’s Services Department.
- one FTE Administrative Assistant at the Assessor’s Office.A reduction of FTE’s at several departments – note: most of these are unfilled positions and positions that are filled, there are other open positions that existing employees can pursue if interested.”
A lot of unknowns remain unresolved, including how much money is in the Free Cash account. The state has to certify the amount before the city can plan to do anything with the cash, if anything at all.
“You know, everyone’s just kind of putting out fires, and there’s so much going on,” said Mayor Joshua García.
The mayor expressed hope that the certification would be completed by mid-June.
Local aid from the state taxpayers is being withheld, prompting City Councilor Kevin Jourdain to ask:
“I know you’re trying to do better, but we are running a government here and we should be transparent. Is there a reason the council hasn’t received a communication about something as important as our local aid?”
Treasurer Rory Casey responded:
“As far as communications, certainly we want to be transparent — that is the state law. We met with them this morning. We’re in a good place to get everything. They will be releasing the state aid in June”
City Treasurer Rory Casey.
The conversation continued about state aid withholdings, which to date, means the city is owed about $32 million for the combined months of February, March, April and May, or $8 million a month.
The withholding occurred because the city did not file a budget in January. It did so in February, but missing the deadline delayed the payments to the city.
Casey has been investing money in 3- and 6-month savings accounts that reap the city interests and allow him to pay the bills on time, he said.
The agenda can be viewed here.
The spreadsheet with all the departmental budget requests and mayor approval are here.
The third and final budget meeting is scheduled for June 9 at 6 pm in City Council chambers. On the agenda are the following departments:
Building
Weights and Measures
Veterans Services
Retirement Board
Parks
Conservation
Library
Planning
Public Works
Community Development
Police Department
After the three budget meetings conclude, the City Council will commence discussions on what to leave alone and what to cut.
