Finance Committee
Guidelines Subcommittee Minutes
October 16, 2008
The Finance Committee Guidelines Subcommittee met Thursday evening, October 16, 2008, in the Board of Selectmen's Room at the Town House, Concord, Massachusetts. Notice of the meeting was duly filed with the Town Clerk, Town of Concord, Massachusetts.
Members present: Tom Anzer, Jill Appel, Walter Birge, Bruce Button, Pamela Hill, Mark Howell, David Kramer, John LaMothe, Michael Lawson, Judith Quanrud, Lynn Salinger.
Also present: Tony Logalbo, Finance Director; Virginia McIntyre, Selectmen; Janet Rothrock, Recorder.
Chairman Mark Howell called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
Ms. Quanrud agreed to serve as Clerk Pro Tem for this meeting.
Approval of Minutes: Approval of the minutes was not discussed.
Follow-up from presentations of October 2 and 9: Chairman Howell referred to the presentations made by the Town Manager on October 2 meeting and the Superintendent on October 9 and stated that the purpose of this meeting was to allocate available funds among the three entities.
Preliminary Guidelines - Discussion and adoption: Mr. Logalbo stated that so far the State has not cut aid to towns. He reiterated that Concord may collect less than usual in auto excise tax revenue although sales of new vehicles have historically decreased less in Concord than in the rest of the state during periods of depressed auto sales.
After much discussion of the likelihood of reductions in state aid to towns, the possibility that other revenue sources may also be reduced and the impact of a maximum allocation of available revenue on the property tax rate, Mr. Anzer moved that the Finance Committee reduce the estimate of the net amount available, $2,364,925 by $872,557 to arrive at a new estimated net amount available of $1,492,368. The motion was seconded by Mr. Birge and the vote passed by a vote of 9 to 2. The amount of $872,557 is approximately 20% of the estimate of State aid for FY10 to Concord.
After further discussion of how to allocate the available funds among the Town of Concord, the Concord School System and the Concord Carlisle Regional School District, Mr. Anzer made a motion to recommend that the Finance Committee allocate $600,000 from free cash to support FY10 operations to be included in the $1,492,368 estimate of available funds. The motion was seconded by Mr. Birge and the vote in favor of the motion was unanimous.
The subcommittee discussed how to allocate the available funds to the stated needs of the budgeting entities. The committee concluded that in light of the concerns about future revenue if would recommend a preliminary guideline that would represent approximately 60% of the high priority requests presented by each budgeting entity during the previous hearings. Mr. Lawson moved that the Guideline Subcommittee recommend that the Finance Committee adopt a preliminary guideline increase in the amount of $1,494,000 to be allocated as follows: $482,000 for Concord Town Government, $493,000 for Concord Public Schools, $519,000 for Concord Carlisle Regional School District operations, Concord Assessment without debt. Mr. LaMothe seconded the motion and the vote in favor of the motion was unanimous.
Other Business: There was no other business. The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Judith Quanrud, Acting Clerk
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