The Marion Select Board voted during Monday night’s public meeting to approve the Warrant for the May 8 Annual Town Meeting.
Hearing mainly from Finance Director Judy Mooney and also from Town Administrator Geoff Gorman, the board reviewed the Warrant with a focus on financial articles. Gorman explained that the town decided to pull the Codification Committee-authored articles based on Select Board approval.
Estimated revenues for Fiscal Year 2024 are $21,353,967 (compared to $20,711,514 in FY23.) Mooney told the Select Board that Marion is top heavy on the tax levy with almost 80% of the town’s operating budget funded via the tax budget.
Adding $533,849 via Proposition 2-1/2 and $100,000 in new growth, the FY24 Tax Levy is $21,722,816 (79% of the budget.) State aid, Mooney said, comes in at $1,406,414 (5%.) With local receipts at $1,951,255 (7%), Marion plans to raise and appropriate $26,000,722 in FY24. Transfers including local receipts such as revenue from excise taxes ($1,184,305), “free cash” ($329,893) and debt exclusion ($871,952) account for a total General Fund revenue of $27,516,635 in a level-services budget.
Mooney said Marion is trying to get away from dipping into the free-cash account.
Mooney reported that “a little bit” of debt remains on the Police Station and the schools. The fire truck is almost paid off in an amount ($665,298 counting interest) that takes the new DPW building into account.
While the General Fund budget is up 4.6% from FY23, the $2,444,655 Water budget represents a 2.98% increase, and the $3,620,404 Sewer budget represents a 2.79% increase over FY23.
All of Marion’s unions are up for negotiation next year.
While elected officials have been level-funded for FY24, other increases can be traced to a $159,400 salary for the town administrator, supplies, support and software for the Assessors, an “uptick” in the treasurer’s billing work, professional development for the town clerk, town planner and members of the Planning Board.
A $141,042 increase in the FY24 Police budget reflects the new student-resource officer being budgeted for Sippican School. In the 2022-23 academic year, the town has been running a PILOT program.
“What they’re doing right now is the police officer that’s over there doing their reports over there. This SRO is a true SRO,” said Mooney.
Cruisers purchased by the Police Department are lasting a little longer, according to Mooney.
Among the other articles, Schools increased by 18%, some of which is due to putting five students into Upper Cape Tech next school year as opposed to just one this year.
The Select Board praised the work that Facilities Director Shaun Cormier has done with the $50,000 allotted him for in-house work. Mooney speculated that Cormier might even have $2,000 remaining in FY23 funds.
For the second year, all proposed Capital Improvements Planning Committee-related project will be contained in one article. One item has seen a sharp increase: the police-security camera upgrade originally priced at $13,000 is now estimated to cost $27,000.
Like the $1,200,000 for the ladder truck, Mooney explained that, “All of these (projects) will be funded through the free cash, (but) … we are not utilizing all of our free cash. … It’s going to get harder down the road.”
Town Administrator Geoff Gorman credited Mooney for managing a budget that allows paying $1,000 into OPEB.
Marion has three different stabilization funds: its regular fund at $3,000,000, a schools fund at $355,796 and a capital fund at $227,603. The town’s policy is to maintain 10% in the budget. Right now those total to 13%.
No. 28, the final article of the Warrant, would give every adjudicatory board in Marion the authority to use the Mullin Rule, which allows voting members to miss one public hearing and still vote. Previously, only the Zoning Board of Appeals could invoke the Mullin Rule.
In other business, the board approved collection on new, opioid-related settlements with Teva, Allergan, Walgreens, Walmart, and CVS and authorized Gorman to handle the paperwork. To date, Marion has received $30,000 in prior settlements from Jansen and distributors.
The board approved a two-week permit for Sheila Mitchell to house visitors in a 39-foot motor home at her 507 Delano Road residence.
Since the DPW verified a burst pipe on the property, the board approved a Water/Sewer Abatement request for $16,640.87 at 120 Bullivant Farm Road. The board also approved a Water/Sewer commitment of $11,031 for new water and sewer service effective March 23.
William Washburn and his son Chris Washburn presented two historic items to the board, one a board listing the life members of VFW Post 2425, the other a memorial of Boy Scouts who served in World War II.
The elder Washburn explained that the family business Washburn Electric is in the process of being sold and that the items belong to the town but only wound up in his workplace for safe keeping.
“They’ve probably been in every building in town and booted out of every building in town,” said William Washburn, who hopes the board can find a proper place for each item.
After discussion, the board agreed to table an approval of the American Tower contract renewal.
During his report, Gorman said that the “Pre-Town Meeting” meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 2, at 6:45 pm at the Music Hall, preceded by the regular public meeting of the Select Board at 6:00 pm. The Annual Town Meeting will be held on Monday, May 8, at 6:45 pm inside Sippican School’s Multipurpose Room.
The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Wednesday, April 19, at 6:00 pm.
Marion Select Board
By Mick Colageo