Comprehensive Budget Analysis

Back on February 10th, I released my 7 point plan for the first 12 months of my tenure, should I be granted the honor of serving as your selectman. As I indicated in my release statement, "I have a fundamental obligation to provide you with as much detail as possible regarding my positions and my visions."

As well, I indicated at that time that "I am committed to ensuring that there is no doubt as to what you can expect from me - should I be granted the honor of serving you." I followed by saying that "My positions on issues will be clearly articulated in print and available via this medium at all times. This will ensure that residents understand my approach to issues, my deliberative process, and the basis for the information used when coming to a decision. As well, it will provide each of you with a means of holding me accountable."

My entire "7 Point Plan for the First 12 Months" is available for download or review in the sidebar to the right. Over the next few weeks, I will post individual sections that plan, so that residents can review and carefully weigh each aspect of it. Where warranted - due to emerging issues or information - I will expand or update with relevant information. Today, I am re-posting point 1 of the plan.

1) Comprehensive Budget Analysis

We are well aware of the current economic crisis facing this nation, and in fact the world. Nationally our unemployment rate is at 7.6%, with many predicting 9-10% unemployment by year’s end. Home foreclosures have increased 81% since the same period last year and 225% since 2006. Further complicating the national crisis is a significant retrenchment in consumer spending which in the last 6 months has demonstrated the lowest rise in 47 years. Last year alone (2008) over 160,000 U.S. retail stores closed their doors. It is predicted that we could witness 200,000 retail store closings in 2009. At a time when consumer spending is receding in such magnitude due to the economic crisis, it is unconscionable that leadership at any level would propose or support spending initiatives that are unnecessary and or unwarranted.

At the very first regularly scheduled meeting (if not provided sooner in response to my ongoing inquiries) I will publicly request a comprehensive list of non-essential budget items planned or currently being implemented along with the taxpayer costs associated with those expenditures. I will request that a spreadsheet be developed (and made publicly available on the town website) that details the tax levy upon residents for each of the items considered or approved. This will enable residents to clearly see the associated monthly cost per resident for each item proposed or approved. As well, I will ask that these items be categorized in terms of how and why they were prioritized on the list.

Subsequently, each budget request that comes before the Board of Selectmen during the course of the year should be added to this list and made publicly available on the town website, along with the item’s projected tax levy. This will enable residents to make more informed judgments about the use of taxpayer dollars.

All too often individual requests are acted upon as completely separate entities with little connectivity to their impact on the overall taxpayer debt. This frequently results in requests being approved because of what appears to be an insignificant tax increase associated with a particular item. Sadly, as each of these requests add up, the burden on Sturbridge taxpayers increases, resulting in diminished discretionary income for some and a loss of obligated income for others. This serves only to the detriment of residents.

This spreadsheet will include, yet not be limited to, the following items and their subsequent tax impact upon residents:

1. WWTF
2. Town Hall/Center School Renovations
2a. Alternate site locations for the Town Hall
3. Burgess Elementary School Renovation/Reconstruction Project
4. Sturbridge Landfill/Recycling Center
5. Non-dedicated funds (i.e. Community Preservation Act) associated with the purchase of land and/or capital expenditures.
6. Legal Fees and associated costs in relation to our contractual agreements with Kopelman and Paige as well as alternative agreements with other acceptable prominent law firms.
- 6a. In line with this request, I will seek a public accounting and detailed explanation as to the process and rationale for maintaining our relationship with Kopelman and Paige as opposed to “market shopping”
7. Hamant Brook Dam Renovations/Maintenance vs. the Stream Restoration Project proposed by the State Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
8. A detailed report and tax levy estimate on the underground power line proposal that the Town Administrator has indicated he will bring before the town for the 2010 Annual Town Meeting.
9. A review of the current tax assessments levied upon residents

Understanding the level of detail that these requests entail, I will commit to working with the Board to ensure that the foundation for this proposal be initiated within the first 4 months of my term and completely operational prior to the fiscal 2010 Annual Town Meeting.