Override push-pull continues
Town leader urges delay;
The town-school tug-of-war over an operating override continues.
As town officials have reduced its $13 million deficit, a key town leader advised delaying pursuit of an override next year, while school officials heard forecasts about the dire impact budget cuts would have on education.
At that meeting, Charles Foskett, chairman of the town's Capital Planning Committee, suggested waiting until next year to pursue an override, because the state and town budget problems are expected to continue through fiscal 2005. Selectmen are expected to entertain a motion March 24 to consider placing an override on a June ballot.
The push for an operating override this year continued apace March 11, when the Arlington School Committee heard from 11 specialists predict what $5.1 million in school-budget cuts would do to their programs.
How could a proposed town budget, reported to be $13.1 million in the red for fiscal 2004 and rising much higher the following year, have been reduced so substantially? The sheets handed out March 10 and officials' statements showed the town expects to:
n Spend $1 million from the stabilization fund to offset anticipated unemployment costs;
n Shape its budget by a 10-percent cut in local aid budget. The $13.1 million projection was based on a 20-percent cut in aid; and
n Save $1 million in pension expenses in 2004, assuming that the state allows Arlington to extend the time to fully fund our pension.
In addition, the town's trash-collection contract with BFI does not expire until fiscal 2005. Thus, the town will not have an anticipated increase of $750,000 for the coming year, but it will face it the next.
Other savings: Arlington expects to spend $300,000 less than expected on its tipping fee fro trash disposal, and the planned contribution to Minuteman will be cut by about $350,000, or 15 percent less than requested.
These budget changes add up to a little more than $4 million of the $13.1 million projected deficit. Officials expect to deal with the balance by making $8 million in reductions.
Under this scenario, school cuts would total about $4.7 million, or $400,000 less than projected.
Budget task force members then raised potential problems with these new numbers, including:
· Arlington legislators and others forecast that local aid will need to be cut more deeply in fiscal 2004 than Gov. Romney's budget shows; and
· This scenario doesn't take into account Chapter 70 aid Minuteman used to get that Gov. Romney sliced from his fiscal 2004 budget plan; thus, the high school could expect more money from Arlington.
As for Arlington may raise more money, Selectman Jack Hurd provided an update from the New Revenue Subcommittee. The following ideas have been discussed (preliminary figures, where known, are included):
Parking revenues (long-, short-term and overnight? not meters): $220,000;
Public/private partnerships: $100,000;
Traffic, park tickets: $50,000;
Building leases: $50,000;
Field-use permit fees: $50,000;
Ice-skating rentals: $30,000.
Total: $500,000.
Other ideas under consideration aimed at raising money: the trash-pickup plan called PayT, parking meters, regionalizing services and a meals tax.
Allan Tosti, Finance Committee chairman, suggested categorizing these ideas as those that could be put into effect soon, in one year and longer than that.
He had two suggested revenue-enhancers: Yard-waste pickup could be paid as a fee-for-service, as a way to return it as a town service. Under the fiscal 2004 proposal, it would be cut. He said town-clerk's fees could be raised.
Acting Town Manager Nancy Galkowski said building permits will now be based on the contract amount rather than a home owner's word.
As to the possible override, Foskett strongly recommended that the town create a three-year plan before recommending pursuing the tax-increasing measure. He suggested that perhaps town officials should not seek an override this year, because he believes next year's fiscal climate may be worse. It was suggested that once Arlington balances this year's budget, it has a possible $11 million shortfall in fiscal 2005 and $15 million in red ink the next year.
Those present discussed what might happen to town schools, services, quality of life and property values if officials proceeded with $8.1 million in cuts and not try for an operating override.
School Committee member Paul Schlichtman said the quality of services and schools distinguishes us from urban communities, such as Chelsea.
No detailed discussion of special education or health insurance occurred. The chairs of those subcommittees, Selectmen Charles Lyons and Diane Mahon, were absent.
The budget task force is scheduled to meet 6 p.m., Monday, March 24, on the second floor, Town Hall.
Notes by Sheri Mahoney, posted to the public e-mail list Think of Our Kids, were used in this summary, which Bob Sprague wrote.
| 
