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FINANCE COMMITTEE
Town of Becket
557 Main Street
Becket, MA 01223
Minutes for Special Meeting for Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Call to Order: 2.00 pm
Present: Steve L., Ann S., Chuck A., Dan P., Craig K.
Absent: Jeremy D.
Public Present: Robert Ronzio (resident)
Agenda:
- Minutes of April 7, 2011 (Motion: Ann S. Second: Dan P.) and April 21, 2011 (Motion Ann S. Second: Dan P.) Finance Committee meetings were passed.
- Correspondence and transfers:
Discussions about the Becket Athenaeum “Library” funding was brought up. Select Board recommended $42,000, a 40% increase over the previous year. The Finance Committee recommended $36,000, a 20% increase. The concern that the Finance Committee has about the large increase being proposed is the ability to continue funding at this level in future years. The Town had a windfall this year with an significant amount of Free Cash resulting from the property sale and overlay release (both infrequent events) and a decrease in the School Budget (Rare event). The 2013 Budget could be an extreme challenge and the $36,000 recommendation was felt as one the Town could handle in the future. (Note: a decrease in funding from the Town causes a potential decertification of the
Library for State Grant purposes.)
The following changes to the Budget and resulting Articles was discussed and accepted (Motion: Ann S. Second: Dan P.).
- Increase to the Town Clerk expense budget to $8,672.
- Additional increase of $5,000 to $15,000 for Municipal Utilities from Free Cash
- Addition of $500 for the Children’s Holiday party
- Additional wording of “sander” to the Truck and Plow request in Article 10
- New radios in Article 15 are only for Police, Fire, and Town Hall.
- Public Input. No other input
Adjourned: 2:38 PM
Respectfully Submitted by Dan Parnell
Approved: Stephan LaBelle______________________________________
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