Clarksburg Revamps Spending Plans in Light of Error

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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Town officials approved a budget on Monday night for fiscal 2016 and capital projects they will ask voters to fund out of free cash.

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Town officials had left last week's joint meeting looking forward to being able to catch up on capital projects.

On Monday, those plans had be revamped after discovering a $92,000 error in the proposed fiscal 2016 budget.

On the chopping block was a proposal  to pay off the library loan balance of $78,947.34. Selectmen Chairman Jeffrey Levanos had lobbied last week to use some of the town's $480,000 in free cash to pay off the debt, which is expected to cost the town thousands more in interest over the next 21 years.

"It's the only thing I asked for," a disappointed Levanos said.

"We should be paying it off. But we just can't," said Finance Committee Chairman Mark Denault. "We were looking at $10,000 good and now we're $82,000 to the bad."

The Selectmen and Finance Committee met Monday to finalize the budget and vote on which capital projects to present to the voters at the annual town meeting. The error — caused by the police department budget being accidentally zeroed out on the spreadsheet they were using — was discovered as officials reviewed the department line items.

It was a setback but not a disaster. The town is currently flush with $478,000 in free cash after several years of the state holding back funds that could not be certified; there's also $92,000 sitting in the stabilization account.

Denault has said he was against spending too much of the free cash, since the town will get a much lower amount next year, but he and fellow committee member Lori-Anne Aubin believed the most critical parts of the capital plan could be done.

"We could fund everything and for the right reasons," he said.

Denault and Aubin proposed presenting voters with separate warrant articles to take from free cash: $50,000 to balance the snow road account, $82,256 to balance the budget, $12,500 to fix the library roof, $3,000 to fix the Senior Center roof, $58,000 for town garage roof repairs and highway equipment and $25,000 to remove an old oil tank, with the hope it will come in much less.

The total comes to $230,756, leaving $247,244 to be rolled into the stabilization account, bringing that to $339,244. The town may also need to contribute to a grant being pursued by the Fire Department for a new fire truck. That $17,500 could be taken from the stabilization account through a special town meeting if necessary.

Voters will also be asked to approve borrowing of $300,000, some $65,000 to be used for immediate culvert work and $235,000 for Horrigan Road. Reconstruction of the road is estimated at between $250,000 to $300,000; the balance of the cost would be taken from Chapter 90 funds.



The total town budget as of Monday night was $1,357,456.77, up about $90,000 from this year's $1,267,734.45. Town officials voted to accept the budget as presented, with the caveat the numbers may change slightly once the town's financial team reviews it.

The school budget is $2,783,751, up from this year's $2,665,698.

The budget includes a 3 percent cost of living raise for town employees but no step raises.

Highway Foreman Kyle Hurlbut strongly objected to the Board of Selectmen's decision two weeks before to freeze wages other than the COLA.

"The last board told us to stick to the [step] plan and we did," he said, feeling his department was being penalized. He was particularly worried about an employee nearing retirement and another one working to get his commercial licenses. "I don't agree with a guy getting a license and we're not giving it to him."

Town Administrator Carl McKinney also tried to speak to the issue but Selectman William Schrade said the board had made the decision and would take the responsibility for it.

 "We're the ones who made the decision so it should come from us," he said. "It's a decision we've made to go forward. It's got to be consistent for everyone."

The town's wage system is out of date and not being used consistently. Levanos noted that the last public works employee had to be hired at the 20-year step because the job had gone begging the starting salary. The board is planning to review the steps and wages and present a new schedule at next year's town meeting that will likely raise wages for most positions.

"People were operating with this same plan different ways," said Selectwoman Linda Reardon.

Denault assured Hurlbut that should the employee earn his licenses, an exemption had been made to raise his pay a $1 an hour.

"You've tried to do the right thing, but when you outside the step plan you make it dysfunctional," he said. "They shouldn't be going outside to hire at another rate. I know it's difficult to swallow this year but the commitment is there to give it back next year."


Tags: fiscal 2016,   town budget,   

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Central Berkshire School Officials OK $35M Budget

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School Committee approved a $35 million budget for fiscal 2025 during its meeting on Thursday.
 
Much of the proposed spending plan is similar to what was predicted in the initial and tentative budget presentations, however, the district did work with the Finance subcommittee to further offset the assessments to the towns, Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis said. 
 
"What you're going see in this budget is a lower average assessment to the towns than what you saw in the other in the tentative budget that was approved," she said. 
 
The fiscal 2025 budget is $35,428,892, a 5.56 percent or $1,867,649, over this year's $33,561,243.
 
"This is using our operating funds, revolving revenue or grant revenue. So what made up the budget for the tentative budget is pretty much the same," Director of Finance and Operations Gregory Boino said.
 
"We're just moving around funds … so, we're using more of the FY25 rural aid funds instead of operating funds next year."
 
Increases the district has in the FY25 operating budget are from active employee health insurance, retiree health insurance, special education out-of-district tuition, temporary bond principal and interest payment, pupil transportation, Berkshire County Retirement contributions, and the federal payroll tax. 
 
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