North Adams to Use $750K Grant for Capital Purchases
 Mayor Richard Alcombright explains some of the figures in a record of the city tax levy. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — City officials are proposing to use the one-time $750,000 grant from the state to address a host of capital needs.
The city has compiled a list of $1.762 million in needs ranging from plow trucks to playgrounds to heating systems.
"We weren't going to put anything in here that would reoccur," Mayor Richard Alcombright told the Finance Committee on Thursday. "We didn't want anything to show up in next year's budget."
Alcombright is proposing to cover $767,610 of those capital items using the state grant and other sources, such as city's $141,000 in free cash.
The $750,000 was approved by the Legislature in recognition of the loss of Northern Berkshire Healthcare and its 500 jobs.
Alcombright was unsure how the funds would be disbursed. He has sent a list of the items to purchased with the funds along with a letter to Glen Shor, secretary of administration and finance. (The letter, list and Finance Committee presentation by Administrative Officer Michael Canales is below.)
"Please note the enormity of our capital needs and without this help from the Commonwealth the City would have no way of making these purchases or complete these projects," the letter reads. "Most of the approved purchases and projects need to happen very quickly as they involve snow removal, heating systems, roof repairs and police vehicles."
Among the priorities is a heating and cooling system for City Hall to replace the aged units and a repair of the roof at $94,000.
The water treatment plant would be updated with a natural gas system and the library as well to supplement its geothermal system during the winter.
"On very cold days it can't keep up and we have had to close the library," he said.
The spending would also include $35,000 for an animal shelter to replace the city's outdated kennel. The mayor is proposing to place it near DiSanti Field where there's room for a public dog park.
"We wanted something that would be visible and easily accessible," he said. "We thought that would be a good area because it's part of the athletic complex."
Also on the list is two police cruisers and two F-550 trucks with plows. Chapter 90 funds can be used for the larger plow trucks but not the smaller ones used for the city's narrow, hilly streets.
Another $30,000 would to go weed control at Windsor Lake and $100,000 for technology and text books to "give the School Department a boost."
The mayor also gave a preview of for the upcoming tax classification hearing.
"This is the first year of many we're not coming in with any request to balance our budget in reserves," he said, adding that he would like the $141,000 in free cash to be transferred into the stabilization account. "It forces me to come to the council to get money."
Overall, the city is down about $2.28 million in total property values to $712 million.
The current shift in tax burden is 1.71 toward the commercial side. Alcombright said he would not recommend changing that shift.
Should the City Council agree, the average tax bill would increase by about $115 for fiscal 2015, or $16.71 per $1,000 valuation.
Over the past several years, state support of the city's budget has dropped from 67 percent to 42 percent.
The mayor said he will ask for a Proposition 2 1/2 override. He is planning to present two budgets to the council for approval: one with the override and one without.
"We're in a position now where we can't rely on the state, we have to rely on ourselves," said Alcombright. "We've gone seven cycles virtually working with the same amount of revenue."
Tags: capital spending, fiscal 2015, state aid, tax classification,
