To the Editor:
I am writing to alert Mattapoisett voters to an unusual and unexpected article that will be included in the Special Town Meeting to be held on Monday, November 21, 2016 that would cost the taxpayers going forward as much as $200,000 each year. The proposed article, currently drafted as Article 10, asks for $30,985 to fund two new full-time public safety professionals, one to the fire department and one to the police department. The cost noted in the article is only for partial year salaries and training but does not include the costs and benefits that the two employees would require each year. Full costs include salary, overtime, current and retiree health care, pension, cash payouts for unused sick time, unemployment and workers compensation insurance, workplace injury insurance, educational incentives, training, uniforms, vehicles, and other equipment, and are likely to exceed $200,000 each year.
Our annual budget is completed only once per year, in the spring, when expected revenues are allocated to all town departments and are presented to town meeting for approval after six months of exhaustive review, argument, and public discussion. The balancing of the budget requires that choices be made to consider making both increases and decreases in departmental budgets and personnel, at the same time. In the fall, the town usually meets to consider whether to allocate any excess of net revenues to address any emergency items such as hurricane damage, equipment or infrastructure failures, personnel changes or injuries. Unexpected excess net revenues are also often used to fund one-time expenses for items that had been postponed in the spring due to revenue uncertainties or lack of information. For example, there are two articles this fall for traffic and road improvements that required information and/or approvals from the state that were obtained only after the spring meeting. Another example arose because at the spring town meeting, the town had not yet finalized certain union and employee contracts so only an estimate was included in the spring budget. Those contracts have been finalized and a number of adjustments are required to align those employee costs to each department and for transfers from one funding category to another.
It is unusual to make major budget decisions in the fall when voter turn-out is expected to be minimal. However, in some cases, low voter participation may be preferred by some. I urge all town voters to ask questions and attend the town meeting next Monday. I apologize for the brief notice but was only informed about this when I read The Wanderer late last week.
Yours truly,
Patricia Donoghue, Finance Committee Chair
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