MINUTES BOARD OF FINANCE JUNE 22, 2009
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A SPECIAL MEETING of the Board of Finance was held on Monday, June 22, 2009 in the Main Room of the Sullivan Senior Center.
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Those in attendance included Mayor Ryan J. Bingham, Board of Finance Members Wendy Traub, Thomas Scoville, James Zeller, and Laurene Pesce, Board of Education member Frank Rubino, Acting Superintendant for Educational Services Dr. Barbara Campbell, Board of Education Director of Business Services Nancy Haynes, Corporation Counsel ErnestineYuille Weaver, and Comptroller Alice Proulx. Board of Finance members Daniel Farley and Mark Bushka were absent.
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Mayor Bingham called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
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Mayor Bingham explained that the Board of Finance approved an additional $137,106 for the Board of Education budget, and is considering an additional $218,328 as requested.
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Dr. Campbell said the $218,328 figure was their best guess and remains primarily accurate. She said the final number won't be known until the books close out at the end of the fiscal year, and assured the Board of Finance that as early as January the Board of Education began taking steps by freezing all but essential spending.
Ms Haynes added that there were significant unanticipated expenditures exceeding $860,000 but the $218,328 deficit is their worst case scenario.
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#164 Mrs. Traub asked if the additional $218,328 would comfortably put the Board of Education in the black and pointed out that the same accounts have monies available every year. She asked about the encumbered amounts left in Repair & Maintenance and Professional Development.
Ms. Haynes explained they usually shift line items over to grant money if available. One of their savings measures was to eliminate conference attendance for professional staff.
Dr. Campbell added that they don't know what the grant monies will be at the time they build their budget.
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#302 Mrs. Traub recounted the actual out-of-district placement costs for 2007, 2008 and 2009 and pointed out the 41%, 1.8 million dollar increase in 2 years. She asked if this increase is due to the tuition going up or if there are more students with specified needs.
Ms. Haynes said this issue is in every district in the state, Special Education out-placement mandates are underfunded. She pointed out that students returning to the district from out-placements are still costly.
Dr. Campbell said that districts across the country are experiencing high Special Education costs.
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#475 Mrs. Traub asked if there is a potential tuition increase built into the budget. Ms. Haynes replied that no buffer is included, per direction from the Board of Finance.
#555 Mayor Bingham asked the Board of Finance if they wanted to vote on the additional $218,328 or carry the amount over and wait to see what the year end looks like.
Mrs. Traub said revisiting this in August or September would mean the Board of Education has technically overspent their budget. She explained that the Board of Finance has the option to transfer funds out of other department budgets. Mrs. Traub further explained that if funds weren't available, the Board of Finance could make an emergency allocation, and charge it against next year's approved budget, decreasing their new budget by the amount given. Atty. Weaver said this was accurate.
Mayor Bingham said he doesn't mind waiting on the decision and will invite the Board of Education to the next Board of Finance Meeting. He suggested the option of tabling this item.
Atty. Weaver said she would look into the ramifications of not having this completed before the fiscal year ends.
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#776 Mrs. Pesce suggested wording the motion to include the words "up to" a certain amount of money so that it has been identified without a bottom line number, pending year-end actions, thereby giving authorization before June 30th so the Board of Education isn't spending money it doesn't have.
Mrs. Traub said her concern is for the Board of Education not to spend more money than they've been allocated without Board of Finance approval.
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TRANSFER TO BOARD OF EDUCATION #871 On a motion by Mrs. Pesce, seconded by Mr. Scoville, the Board voted unanimously to approve an interdepartmental transfer of up to $218,328 to the Board of Education.
Mr. Zeller asked the Board of Education to continue to look for ways to save money to the extent possible.
Mrs. Traub pointed out that the majority of the 60 million dollar budget is salaries and benefits, and said she dislikes repeatedly transferring funds from other departments into the Board of Education to cover these types of things.
Ms. Haynes said the choices for out placement services are few, dictated by the nature of the student's disability, and that she hasn't heard from any other district that the costs were considered outrageous.
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ADJOURNMENT #1110 On a motion by Mrs. Traub, seconded by Mr. Scoville, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn at 5:34 p.m. |
ATTEST: JOSEPH L. QUARTIERO, CMC CITY CLERK
Respectfully submitted, Carol L. Anderson, CCTC Asst. City Clerk |
