FINANCE COMMITTEE – PUBLIC FORUM
Town Hall – Conference Room 1
Minutes of the Meeting of Thursday, March 22, 2012
Committee Members Present: Member Absent: Also Present:
Christopher Avis, Chairman James Condon Joyce Mason, Town Manager
Charles Gasior, Vice Chairman Tom Mayo, Asst. Town Manager
Mark Davini, Clerk Mike Richardson, BOS Liaison
Robert Chalker Jose Franco, School Comm. Vice Chair
Oskar Klenert
George Schmidt
CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Christopher Avis called the meeting to order at 6:45 PM.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
None
REVIEW OF MINUTES
Oskar Klenert made a motion that the minutes from the 3/15/12 Finance Committee meeting be approved as presented. Mark Davini seconded the motion. The motion was approved 5-0, with George Schmidt abstaining.
NEW BUSINESS
- Transfers – None
- Appropriations Report – No report.
OLD BUSINESS
- School Committee Liaison Report – George Schmidt
George Schmidt reported on his meeting today with School Committee members, going over the School Committee requested budget for the coming year, as well as trying to understand the MUNIS system and how the School Committee accounting system will differ from that. In looking at the numbers today, Mr. Schmidt stated that he received an explanation as to why the numbers are not really what they appear to be on the MUNIS report. Mr. Schmidt stated that he reviewed a number of accounts with the School Committee Chairman and Mr. Funk, Business Administrator, and Superintendent Ann Bradshaw, and spent some time going over the salaries in an attempt to understand how they are determined. In talking with the Town Accountant today, Mr. Schmidt stated that the School Committee salary numbers are relatively close to what the actual
expenditures are going to be. Mr. Schmidt stated that the School Committee has made an
(School Committee Liaison Report, cont’d)
additional proposal for possible cuts, including increases in student parking fees and athletic fees, and eliminating one school route bus.
Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Avis offered a proposal which they feel the School Committee will accept: there will be no prepays in any future school budget; any money left in the budget at the end of the school year will be returned to the Town; there will be a full school budget in the MUNIS system on the Town Manager’s schedule. George Schmidt stated that after looking over the budget, he and Christopher Avis are recommending an additional $343,287 or a 2% increase over the Town Manager’s recommended 1% increase in the School Department budget.
Robert Chalker expressed his thanks and appreciation to George Schmidt and Christopher Avis for meeting with Superintendent Ann Bradshaw and members of the School Committee. Mr. Chalker stated his disappointment that the Finance Committee is even considering increasing the School budget by another $343,287 over and above the 1% increase already allotted by the Town Manager. In the last two years, there was money left over from the School budget that was not returned to the Town. Mr. Chalker stated his feeling that there is no reason to believe that there will not be money left over at the end of the coming school year.
Oskar Klenert made a motion that the Finance Committee recommend approval of the School budget of $18,746 in accordance with the Town Manager’s School Committee budget. The motion was seconded by Charles Gasior. The committee voted as follows: Charles Gasior, yes; Oskar Klenert, yes; Mark Davini, yes; Chris Avis, no; George Schmidt, no; Robert Chalker, no. The motion was defeated.
Robert Chalker made a motion that the Finance Committee recommend approval of the School budget of $18,560,430. There was no second to the motion. The motion was defeated.
Christopher Avis made a motion that the Finance Committee recommend approval of the School budget of $18,917,683.00, a 2% increase over last year’s school budget, with the understanding that any money left over at the end of the school year will be returned to the Town to be reappropriated to the School, not to exceed $19,089,326, and to follow the MUNIS system with no prepays for FY2013. George Schmidt seconded the motion. The committee voted as follows:
Christopher Avis, yes; George Schmidt, yes; Charles Gasior, yes. Oskar Klenert, no; Mark Davini, no; Robert Chalker, no. The motion was defeated.
Mark Davini made a motion that the Finance Committee recommend approval of a 1% increase in the School Budget over last year, with the understanding that there would be no pre-pays, the FY2014 school department budget would be submitted by line item by the Town Manager’s requested budget date, any money left over at the end of the school year, up to $3% or $19,089,326. would be returned to the Town, with the recommendation that the Finance Committee and the Board of Selectmen approve return of the monies to the School Department in October 2013. Charles Gasior seconded the motion. The committee voted as follows: Christopher Avis, yes; Oskar Klenert, yes; George Schmidt, yes; Mark Davini, yes; Charles Gasior, yes; Robert Chalker, no. The motion was approved.
Charles Gasior thanked Jose Franco for his time and effort on behalf of the Finance Committee to come to an agreement on the School Committee budget.
- Review of Annual Town Meeting Warrant Articles
Article 5 – Approved unanimously by the Finance Committee the Cape Cod Regional Technical School budget of $967,173 for FY 2013.
Article 11: approved by a vote of 6-0 (1 absent)
Article 12: on hold
Article 29: approved by a vote of 6-0 (l absent)
Article 30: no position taken by the Finance Committee
- Review of Special Town Meeting Warrant Articles
Article 6: approved by a vote of 6-0 (1 absent)
Article 7: on hold
Article 9: approved by a vote of 5-1 (1 absent); Robert Chalker voted no.
Christopher Avis moved that the Public Forum be adjourned. Charles Gasior seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. The Public Forum was adjourned at 6:44 PM.
Christopher Avis opened the Finance Committee Public Hearing Notice on the FY2013 operating budget at 8:45 PM. Pursuant to the Chapter 6-6 Charter, the Mashpee Finance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2013 operating budget of the Town of Mashpee, submitted by the Town Manager. Such hearing will be held on Thursday, March 22, 2012, 6:30 PM at Mashpee Town Hall, Conference Room 1, 16 Great Neck Road North, Mashpee, MA. Copies of the budget are available in the Town Manager’s office or can be viewed online at www.mashpeema.gov.
Joyce Mason expressed her appreciation to the town departments for making it possible to submit for approval by the Town a level funded budget for FY 2013. Ms. Mason stated that the budget will have no effect on the taxpayers. Projected total revenues in 2013: $49,062,219; the proposed capital program for 2013: $543,693, with capital program funding sources $75,550 from Mashpee Cable & Advanced Technology account, and free cash of $468,143 from all other line items.
Mike Richardson and the Finance Committee members complimented Ms. Mason on an excellent budget for FY 2013.
- Annual Town Meeting Warrant Article 2
Charles Gasior made a motion that the Finance Committee recommend approval of Article 2. Mark Davini seconded the motion. The motion was approved by a vote of 6-0 (1 absent).
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Finance Committee was scheduled for Thursday, April 5, 2012, at 6:30 PM, in Town Hall Conference Room 1.
ADJOURNMENT
As there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:55 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Ina G. Schlobohm
Recording Secretary
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