Clarksburg Town Meeting Passes Budget, Articles
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Above, Town Clerk Carol Jammalo swears in Rose M. Peters, left, for library trustee and Patricia A. Prenguber for School Committee after town meeting. |
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Town meeting on Tuesday night worked its way through the annual warrant, passing all 26 articles — but not without some pointed questions.
Nearly 50 voters approved raising and appropriating $1,150,408.81 and taking $30,000 from free cash to cover the fiscal 2014 budget. The town side is $1.18 million and the school side is $2.66 million.
Also heartily approved was a feasibility study for a preschool program at Town Hall spearheaded by parent and educator Kimberly Rougeau. Town meeting nearly unanimously gave the OK to transfer $8,000 from the school stabilization account to fund the study.
"I think it would be great for our community," said Rougeau, who was applauded for her efforts.
The town also authorized the board to consider an electrical aggregation agreement. A number of communities are seeking to purchase power from generators as a way to lock in electrical rates.
The meeting began with presentations by both Selectmen Chairman Carl McKinney and Finance Committee Chairman Mark Denault explaining some of the accounting issues that had arisen during this budget season.
"Our commission is to get our books cleaned up," said McKinney, likening the problems to a snowball growing as it rolls downhill.
The accounting issues delayed town meeting for a month and had both boards hastily cutting through the budget on Monday night.
McKinney ensured town meeting voters that a procedure was being put in place and a letter of engagement had been signed with accountants Scanlon & Associates to do an audit.
"We want to have good communication and assist the auditors to areas that are not in sync," said McKinney.
Denault said each department head had been asked to come in with a realistic budget and a wish list, and then asked to defend their spending plan.
"The budget was cut or reduced at every available place to allow the town to function," he said, adding "you can't make a good budget on bad numbers."
Former Finance Committee member Mary Beverly, who has also held a number of town posts, questioned the claim that past accounts were "out of balance."
"I have them right here," she said, holding up audits.
Former Selectmen Chairwoman Debra LeFave said the town had had an audit every year up until 2010.
But few voters seemed eager to pursue the issue. Rather, they questioned more closely each article and the need for the money to be spent before approving. Many of the articles required taking funds from the stabilization account, which meant a hand count because they required a two-thirds vote.
 Kimberly Rougeau explains plans for the preschool, which could open next year. |
A number of articles were amended on the floor, including the amount to raise and appropriate in Article 10. Beverly questioned whether the meeting was voting on the amended warrant article or the incorrect worksheet attached to it.
The final cuts made Monday night had not been printed out for town meeting.
Beverly motioned to amend the amended article to include the line item worksheet approved by the Finance Committee on Monday. The amendment passed as did the article.
The closest vote was Article 3 for Fiscal 2013, a request for $7,552.62 from stabilization to pay for an already purchased generator at the Senior Center.
McKinney said the generator was ordered because of Super Storm Sandy but did not arrive in time. A backup from the Fire Department was wired in but the center never opened as an emergency shelter.
The Finance Committee would not recommend the article, said Denault, because it felt once the emergency passed, the order should have been canceled and the request made directly to town meeting.
The article passed 36-13. "We have to pay for it somehow," said voter Robert Bona. "It's got to come from somewhere."
Among other changes to the warrant was Article 12, cutting a request for funding for roads and bridges from $70,000 to $10,000 from stabilization; Article 16, which eliminated the reduction in age from 70 to 65 for senior tax exemptions (McKinney said it was found this would cost the town $20,000); and Article 19 for the preschool study, which changed the funding source from free cash to the school stabilization account.
Tags: town meeting 2013,
