Rising costs, budget talks and the future of the codification committee were among the topics at the November 3 Select Board meeting at the Town House.
Select Board members and Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman agreed that the town should work toward a level funded budget for next year. They said this would not include contractual obligations such as pay or step increases, nor would it include employee retirement costs.
Gorman noted that retirement costs and health insurance are on the rise. Board members also mentioned that fuel prices have compounded the issue while the town’s solar initiatives have so far only saved a small portion of energy costs for the town.
Right now, the town is looking at a budget shortfall for next fiscal year, which begins next July.
Select Board Chairman John Hoagland noted that the town is obligated to pay 50 percent of retiree health benefits until that retired employee reaches 65.
Hoagland said this practice is not common in the private sector and town officials should look into strategies to defray those costs, especially with health care costs rising by 13 percent.
Select Board member Randy Parker said the town should begin working on strategies not only for this next fiscal year but for the more distant future.
Parker said the town will be looking at a tax override if these trends continue.
“We need to stay ahead of the curve,” Parker said.
Hoagland noted that while town taxpayers and employees should be aware that the town has only so much to spend, officials cannot neglect public needs such as roads, sidewalks and some of the schools’ capital improvement needs.
Hoagland said two years ago, officials learned that the town needed $12 million for sidewalk and road improvements but has only spent $4 million.
Hoagland indicated that those road and sidewalk repair needs have probably worsened over the past two years.
During a discussion about the codification committee, Parker opened with the idea of disbanding it.
As the discussion continued, Parker and Select Board members agreed that the committee should be under the purview of the Planning Board, which makes bylaw changes and recommendations.
Former Select Board and Planning Board member Norm Hills said this committee is important. He said around 10 years ago, a codification committee noted 288 issues with town bylaws and regulations. Over that span, the committee, through bylaw and regulation changes, narrowed those issues down to 20, according to Hills.
Planning Board member Andrew Daniel agreed that the committee should be in place but work under the Planning Board. Daniel said the committee even recognized grammatical issues with some of the town’s bylaws and regulations.
The Select Board received a request from the Republican Town Committee to host meetings at the Town Music Hall instead of the police station conference room.
In a letter to the Select Board, the committee noted that some members are uncomfortable meeting at a police station and that there are limited parking spaces there.
The committee also asked that the Select Board consider waiving the meeting fee at the Music Hall.
The Select Board mentioned that both the town’s Republican Committee and Democratic Committee play pivotal roles within the town. They agreed to allow both committees to host their meetings at the Music Hall and not pay the rental fee. However, they said a clean-up fee would still be in place, as needed.
Marion Select Board
By Jeffrey Wagner