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Sunapee Budget Advisory Committee (BAC)
Meeting Minutes
Meeting held on 10/29/14
Meeting called to order at 8:30 am
Attendees:
Spec Bowers, Chair
David Andrews
John Augustine
Don Bettencourt
Topics of Discussion
- Reviewed results of John Augustine and Don Bettencourt’s meeting with the town manager on Wednesday, October 22nd.
- Discussion of upcoming budget process, the larger budget items and key issues that could better inform BAC members of options to recommend to Selectmen
- Discussion of worksheet to help BAC develop better information from Town budget meeting on Nov 7th.
- Discussion of other non-operating budget items
Action and Follow-up items
- Don Bettencourt and David Andrews to meet with Town Manager following the meeting to request Dept. Heads fill out a worksheet for the Nov 7th Town budget meeting including the following items:
- Dept. budget as % of total budget
- Dept. budget % change from prior year
- Budget vs. actual comparison trend
- Any new expense line items
- Five largest line items in absolute dollar increase amounts
- Line items that decreased from prior year
- Warrant articles requested
In addition, request Dept. Heads to come prepared to discuss verbally the following:
- Ideas for cost savings opportunities
- Ideas for non-tax revenue generation opportunities (e.g. grants, fund raising)
- DB and DA met with Town Manager (TM) immediately following adjournment of the BAC meeting. In response to our request, the TM replied that with 9 days left before the budget meeting on the 7th (including election day in between) there was not enough time to pull together this information. Some of the information is already included on her summary sheets (items 1-3) but the others (4-6) are not. Some of the 4-6 items are included in detail pages and some have the raw data in the detail report but require additional calculation to tabulate. The TM indicated the accounting and MIS systems used by the town do not allow this information to be automatically calculated.
- DB and DA also requested the BAC receive copies of the Town Budget in advance of the Nov 7th meeting. The Town Manager indicated that the budget could not be compiled before Nov 7th and thought it would benefit the Committee and Selectmen to see it as soon as it is ready. We indicated that next year it would be preferable to hold the budget meeting a week after the first week of November to allow BAC and Selectmen an opportunity to study the information ahead of time. The Town Manager has no objection to this.
- The Town Manager also stated that Department Heads are available for follow-up meetings with the BAC and Selectmen after the Nov 7th presentation. Logistics should be coordinated through the Town Manager.
Meeting Adjourned at 10 am.
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