Williamstown Reviews Budget for Lean Year Ahead

By Tammy Daniels
iBerkshires Staff
01:04AM / Tuesday, February 24, 2009

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Thomas Mahar is sworn in as library trustee by Kathy Poirot on Monday.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Town officials are reviewing a lean budget for the coming year that takes into consideration cuts in local aid and declining revenue.

The proposed $6 million general government budget presented to the Selectmen on Monday night is up an estimated 1.6 percent over last year. The 127-page, five-year spending plan also forecasts low revenue growth as the ailing economy slowly recovers.

The town lost $115,000 in local aid in the Gov. Deval Patrick's last round of cuts to close a $1.4 billion budget gap; another $188,000 in aid has been slashed from the fiscal 2010 budget. New growth is off an estimated $50,000.

Returns for motor vehicle excise taxes are still unknown because of an error with January's report, or "commitment"; cities and towns across the state are expecting significant drops in that revenue because of the slowdown in car sales over the past six months.

"You have often heard said desperate times call for desperate measures," said Town Manager Peter Fohlin. "We don't agree with that. We believe desperate times call for more thoughtful measures."

Fohlin said the budget draft was crafted with the input of department heads to ensure the maintenance of services as well as maintaining jobs.

Above, library trustee Marilyn Faulkner, left, Thomas Mahar, Director of Inspection Services Michael Card, library Director Pat McLeod and trustee Jeanne Driscoll; right, Town Manager Peter Fohlin reviews the budget.

The town has been moving toward fewer positions over the past nine years; as people left, positions were consolidated or eliminated, including an assistant administrator who departed before Fohlin arrived.

"We have over this period of time dedicated ourselves to having the best employees we can but as few as possible in order to deliver services at the level Williamstown taxpayers expect," he said.

That's requiring some sacrifice — public employees won't see a cost-of-living raise. Wages will remain level going into 2010.

The town has economized in every way, said Fohlin, including locking in 11,400 gallons of fuel oil for next winter at $1.75 a gallon; locking in electrical rates and reducing insurance premiums. There is no indication that a Proposition 2 1/2 override will be required.

Free cash has seen a bump in the amount of $114,000 but that money is unspent state "circuit breaker" funds from Williamstown Elementary School. Such funds are required to be turned over to the town; Fohlin expected the school to include an article on the warrant to reappropriate that money.

The budget proposal has estimates of 1.6 percent increases in education spending for Williamstown Elementary and Mount Greylock Regional School District. The capital budget is still being formulated. Fohlin said there was serious consideration of replacing the old water main from the bridge on Route 2 to Adams Road and replacing Well No. 1.

Preliminary estimates show the town would need to raise and appropriate $13 million for a tax rate of about $11.55 per $1,000 valuation. This year's rate is $11.40 and fiscal 2008's, $11.78.

Selectman David Rempell said the budget presentation was "extremely thorough, organized and well-thought out."

The budget draft now goes to the Finance Committee for further review. The town will vote on the total budget at town meeting in May.

"We've only just begun" the budget process, cautioned Chairwoman Jane Allen.

In other business:

• Thomas Mahar was named to the board of trustees of Milne Public Library until the May election. Mahar replaces Karen Lartin, who moved. Mahar plans to run for the final year of Lartin's three-year term.
• The board approved updated policy language for selecting professional designers for public building projects.
• The board approved a common victualer license for TJ Warren Inc. operating at 824 Simonds Road, Thomas Warren, treasurer.
• The board approved the sale of two cemetery lots to former Williamstown resident Deborah Dubois Warren.
• Supported a regional investigation of Verizon Communications phone service in the region by the state Department of Telecommunications and Cable. Selectman Ron Turbin, who did legal work for the company that submitted a petition for the town of Hancock relating Verizon, abstained.

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