FINANCE COMMITTEE – PUBLIC HEARING
Mashpee Town Hall – Waquoit Meeting Room 1
Thursday, March 21, 2013 – 6:30 PM
Minutes of the Meeting of 3/21/13
Committee Members Present: Also Present:
George Schmidt, Chairman Joyce Mason, Town Manager
Charles Gasior, Vice Chairman Tom Mayo, Assistant Town Manager
Mark Davini, Clerk Michael Richardson, BOS Chairman
Christopher Avis
Theresa Cook
Sal DiBuono
Oskar Klenert
CALL TO ORDER
Chairman George Schmidt called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Recited.
REVIEW OF MINUTES
Theresa Cook made a motion that the minutes from the 3/07/2013 Finance Committee meeting be approved as presented. Christopher Avis seconded the motion. The motion was approved (7-0).
Charles Gasior made a motion that the minutes from the 3/18/2013 Finance Committee meeting be approved as presented. Mark Davini seconded the motion. The motion was approved (7-0).
NEW BUSINESS
- Public Hearing on FY 2014 Budget
Tom Mayo, Assistant Town Manager, introduced himself to the audience, and proceeded to present a FY 2014 town budget overview submitted by Town Manager Joyce Mason and Tom Mayo. The recommended budget was broken down by Function:
Education - $19,560,999
Public Safety - $11,014,233
General Government - $5,551,019
Debt - $4,652,001
County Retirement – $ 2,379,357
Insurances - $7,082,542
Cape Cod Tech - $920,060 (outside of the operating budget).
The total recommended budget amount is $ 51,160,211.
Tom Mayo’s presentation included pie chart illustrations depicting the recommended budget amounts for each of the Functions.
Revenue Sources include:
Levy – (local property tax revenue) - $40,510,967
New Growth – (estimates based on new building permits) - $200,000
State Funds – (Chapter 70, Lottery, & other) - $4,710,239
Local Receipts – (permits, ambulance receipts, betterments, CPA funds) - $4,427,399
Free Cash (aka revenue available) - $1,311,606
The revenue sources total: $51,160,211
Included in Mr. Mayo’s presentation was a proposed Capital Program for FY 2014 for the following: Fire Dept., Information Technology, Planning & Construction, Police, Public Works, Recreation, and School Dept. The total cost estimate: $1,262,256.
Funding sources for the proposed FY 2014 Capital Program include:
Mashpee Cable & Advanced Technology Account, Ambulance Receipts, Chapter 90, and Free Cash (available revenue).
The budget overview presentation was well received by the Finance Committee, and it was suggested that copies of the presentation be made available to the general public.
Theresa Cook made a motion to close the Public Hearing. Charles Gasior seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved (7-0).
- Tax Rate Discussion – Charles Gasior
Charles Gasior suggested that a pie chart be prepared to provide an informative breakdown of the tax rate, to include the budget categories A through G. Tom Mayo agreed to work with Mr. Gasior on this. Mr. Gasior stated that after meeting with Town Assessor Jason Streebel, he was comfortable with assuming $4,425,000,000 in assessments, which would come up with a tax rate of 9.29% for 2014. The consensus of the Committee was that Mr. Gasior’s assessment of the tax rate is a reasonable one.
George Schmidt reported no transfer requests, but one request for approval of payment of an invoice from Sullivan & Rogers auditors in the amount o $12,000. The committee members signed off on approval of payment of the invoice.
- Liaison Reports – None
- Board of Selectmen Liaison Report – Mike Richardson
- Mr. Richardson agreed to support the idea of investigating the possibility of coming up with a 5-year forecast for the town budget.
- Police Chief Rodney Collins’ father passed away this week. Services will be held on Saturday afternoon, March 23rd, and will be attended by Mike Richardson, Joyce Mason and Wayne Taylor.
- DEP will meet with Mike Richardson at South Cape Beach on March 28th to determine how best to go forward with preservation of the town beach parking lot after severe erosion damage from the winter storms.
- The School Committee voted today to select Steve Hiersche as the new School Superintendent. The vote was 3-2 in favor of Mr. Hiersche.
- Affordable Housing Committee is continuing to actively pursue additional affordable housing projects.
- Mike Richardson and Doug Storrs are meeting next week to discuss a possible Farmers Market at Mashpee Commons as well as other ideas for expansion at the Commons.
- Moratorium on the Marijuana legislation guidelines will hopefully be completed in time for the October 2013 Town Meeting.
- Mr. Richardson reported on a legislative breakfast held at the Mashpee Library on 3/15/13, with David Vieira, Randy Hunt, Cleon Turner, Oskar Klenert, Dan Wolf in attendance.
- Letter from Selectman Mike Richardson re: Finance Committee Voting Process
In an email from Mr. Richardson to George Schmidt dated 3/12/2013, Mr. Richardson stated his feeling that Finance Committee members who vote against recommending a Town Meeting warrant article should put in writing the rationale behind their vote. That written explanation would go only to the Finance Committee members, the Board of Selectmen, and the Town Manager. This would allow all to understand each other’s position and further educate the department heads so that they do a better job in the future on budgeting, and bring everyone involved closer together on budget decisions. The Committee members were in agreement with Mr. Richardson’s suggestion.
- George Schmidt Liaison Meeting with School Committee Chairman
George Schmidt reported on meeting with the School Committee Chairman on Monday, March 11, 2013. Mr. Schmidt stated that at the meeting he reported that the School Committee budget had been received, and had been accepted by the School Committee for the Town Manager’s budget. The Vice Chairman of the School Committee had presented the budget to the Town Manager, saying that the budget was generous and he felt that there was sufficient money in the budget to cover contract negotiations, whichever way they went. Superintendent Ann Bradshaw disagreed, stating that the budgeted amount was insufficient to cover the needed amount. Theresa Cook reminded the Committee that the final vote of the School Committee was 3-2 in favor of the Town Manager’s budget. Mr. Schmidt stated that a binder
prepared by Superintendent Ann Bradshaw of her original budget request was submitted to the Finance Committee, available in the Town Hall mailroom. This was not the Town Manager’s budget, but the original budget submitted by the Superintendent.
- Finance Committee Annual Report Cover Letter
George Schmidt reported that Charles Gasior has volunteered to prepare a draft Finance Committee Annual Report cover letter. Additions/corrections to the letter should be forwarded to Mr. Gasior.
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Finance Committee was scheduled for Thursday, April 25, 2013, 6:30 PM, pending the availability of the auditor to attend the meeting on that date.
ADJOURNMENT
As there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:50 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Ina G. Schlobohm
Recording Secretary
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