Category Archives: Budgets

MMA on pothole $

Posted on March 19, 2015 | Comments Off on MMA on pothole $

This alert from the Mass. Municipal Assoc. –

 

Thursday, March 19, 2015

BAKER ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE CITIES AND TOWNS WITH $30 MILLION FOR POTHOLE AND WINTER RECOVERY EFFORTS

$30 MILLION IN ONE-TIME AID TO BE AVAILABLE AND ALLOCATED THROUGH CHAPTER 90 FORMULA

The Baker Administration announced today that it has established a “Winter Recovery Assistance Program” that will provide cities and towns with $30 million in funding this spring to repair potholes and other damage to roads, bridges and signs caused by the punishing winter.

“This winter’s record-setting snowfall has left our cities and towns with a major maintenance deficit that needs to be addressed immediately,” Lt. Governor Polito said in a statement on Thursday. “This program provides municipalities with additional resources to accelerate those repairs and make our roadways safer for everyone.”

The $30 million for cities and towns will be allocated to municipalities using the Chapter 90 formula. The program will allow municipalities to seek reimbursement on expenditures related to potholes, pavement cracking, surface defects, paving projects, guardrails, storm drains, line striping, and repair or replacement of damaged signs.

MassDOT officials have outlined the following details: 1) the program will be implemented this month, with all qualifying work completed by June 30, 2015; 2) the department will issue one-time contracts with municipalities allowing them to draw down their share of the $30 million for the specific purpose of road and facility repairs; 3) these contracts will include a “use it or lose it” clause to ensure that funds are spent and projects are completed by June 30; and 4) all work invoices must be provided to MassDOT by July 31, 2015 and MassDOT will reimburse cities and towns as invoices are received.

Cities and towns will be receiving official notification and information on this program within the next several days.  Click here to view the WRAP apportionment list and rules and regulations, which detail how the $30 million will be apportioned to each city and town.

This year’s harsh winter has damaged local roads, generated countless potholes and placed a huge burden on local taxpayers as municipal leaders work to shore up their crumbling roadways. Communities will put these funds to immediate use rebuilding and repairing roads, equipment and facilities in every corner of Massachusetts, which will save money, help our economy and improve public safety.

This is very good news for cities and towns, and the MMA applauds Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito, Secretary Pollack and MassDOT for this important program!

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Posted in Budgets, DPW, Massachusetts Municipal Association

Capital budgets

Posted on March 19, 2015 | Comments Off on Capital budgets

Capital Budget requests and recommendations –

Requests and recommendations for this year

Requests for next five years

 

 

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Posted in Budgets

Snow 100%+ over budget

Posted on March 17, 2015 | Comments Off on Snow 100%+ over budget

The snow and ice budget for salaries was $106,170, and for operations $170,743, for a total of $276,913.

So far this winter, the actual spending is $577,225.15, or $300,312.15 over budget.  More than 100% over what was budgeted.

Good that we do not have record snowfalls every year.

Just read the email from Joy that Mike forwarded, which lists the unpaid bills –

Report attached.

($300,312.15) per attached report
–    40,000.00  bills to be paid in next week’s vendor warrant per Donna
–      5,000.00  snow payroll not yet paid thru ADP
($345,312.15)  potential snow deficit

 

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Posted in Budgets, DPW

MMA on road $

Posted on March 13, 2015 | Comments Off on MMA on road $

March 12, 2015

GOV. BAKER FILES $200M CHAPTER 90 BOND BILL
Combined with the $100M Released in January, this 1-Year Bill Would Provide Cities and Towns with a Total of $300M in Chapter 90 Funds for the 2015 Construction Season

Earlier this afternoon, Gov. Charlie Baker filed a one-year $200 million Chapter 90 bond bill for fiscal 2016, and asked legislators to approve the bill quickly so that cities and towns will have access to the money at the start of the construction season.

If the bond bill passes in the next several weeks, combined with the $100 million in new Chapter 90 authorizations the Governor released in January, cities and towns will have access to a total of $300 million to repair and maintain local roads during the 2015 spring-to-fall construction season.

With the state working to erase a $1 billion mid-year budget deficit in fiscal 2015, and a $1.8 billion structural budget gap for fiscal 2016, the Baker-Polito Administration decided to file a one-year Chapter 90 bond bill. Swift passage of the bond bill will ensure that cities and towns can access a total of $300 million in new Chapter 90 funds without delaying the start of the construction season.

The Chapter 90 program provides cities and towns with vital funding to maintain, repair and rebuild 30,000 miles of local roads in every corner of the state. Adequate and timely funding is essential for the growth of our economy and to ensure safe and passable roadways for residents, businesses and visitors.

Immediately after passage of this one-year bond bill, the MMA and local officials will work in partnership with the Administration and legislators to achieve long-range progress and funding for Chapter 90 that is both adequate for cities and towns and sustainable for the Commonwealth.

SWIFT ACTION ON CHAPTER 90 IS NECESSARY TO PREVENT COSTLY AND UNNECESSARY DELAYS IN THE CONSTRUCTION SEASON

PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS TODAY AND ASK THEM TO ENACT THE $200 MILLION CHAPTER 90 BOND BILL BY APRIL 1 AT THE LATEST

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Posted in Budgets, DPW, Massachusetts Municipal Association, State

Medfield #’s in Gov’s budget

Posted on March 4, 2015 | Comments Off on Medfield #’s in Gov’s budget

DOR’s DLS has published the proposed budget #’s under the Governor’s budget proposal.  These are the Medfield numbers.  In recent past years, the House and Senate had ultimately given towns even more than Gov. Patrick’s budgets. –

FY2016 Local Aid Estimates
Medfield
FY2015 Cherry Sheet Estimate
FY2016 Governor’s Budget Proposal
FY2016 House Budget Proposal
FY2016 Senate Budget Proposal
FY2016 Conference Committee
Education:
Chapter 70
5,862,409
5,913,169
School Transportation
0
0
Charter Tuition Reimbursement
12,129
998
Smart Growth School Reimbursement
0
0
Offset Receipts:
School Choice Receiving Tuition
0
0
Sub-total, All Education Items:
5,874,538
5,914,167
General Government:
Unrestricted Gen Gov’t Aid
1,289,875
1,336,310
Local Sh of Racing Taxes
0
0
Regional Public Libraries
0
0
Urban Revitalization
0
0
Veterans Benefits
18,649
21,430
State Owned Land
28,261
28,261
Exemp: VBS and Elderly
27,101
28,947
Offset Receipts:
Public Libraries
16,742
16,096
Sub-Total, All General Government
1,380,628
1,431,044
Total Estimated Receipts
7,255,166
7,345,211
Although the School Lunch program is funded in both the FY2015 final budget and the FY2016 Governor’s budget proposal, we have removed the estimate from the cherry sheet as this program is an education offset that has no impact on the tax rate setting process.

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Posted in Budgets, State

Gov’s budget

Posted on March 4, 2015 | Comments Off on Gov’s budget

This alert from the Mass Municipal Assoc. this afternoon.  The Governor seems to be doing what the MMA has long been requesting, to tie municipal state aid to towns to increases in state revenues, so that towns are in more of a “revenue sharing” model with the state, than a hat in hand, beholden model –

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

GOV. BAKER FILES $38.1 BILLION FISCAL 2016 BUDGET PROPOSAL
• UNRESTRICTED MUNICIPAL AID WOULD INCREASE BY $34 MILLION (3.6%)
• CHAPTER 70 AID WOULD INCREASE BY $105.3 MILLION (2.4%)
• MOST OTHER MUNICIPAL AND SCHOOL ACCOUNTS LEVEL-FUNDED

Earlier this afternoon, Gov. Charlie Baker submitted a $38.1 billion fiscal 2016 state budget plan with the Legislature, proposing a spending blueprint that would increase overall state expenditures by 3 percent, as the new Administration seeks to close a projected $1.5 billion structural budget deficit by restraining spending, eliminating 4,500 state jobs through an early retirement program, increasing state employee contributions to health insurance, and offering a tax amnesty plan.

The Governor’s budget includes a $34 million increase in Unrestricted General Government Aid, and a $105.3 million boost to Chapter 70 school aid.

Most other municipal and education aid accounts in the Governor’s budget proposal would remain at post-9C fiscal 2015 levels.  This includes the special education circuit breaker, charter school reimbursements, payments-in-lieu of taxes, regional school transportation, Shannon anti-gang grants, and library aid.

The Governor would increase McKinney-Vento reimbursements by $1 million, and fund METCO at the original fiscal 2015 level, restoring the mid-year 9C cuts.

• Click here to see the UGGA and Chapter 70 Aid amounts listed by community in the Governor’s budget:
http://www.mass.gov/bb/h1/fy16h1/os_16/h3.htm

• Click here to see the Division of Local Services preliminary fiscal 2016 Cherry Sheet aid amounts for your community, based on the Governor’s proposed budget:
http://www.mass.gov/dor/local-officials/municipal-data-and-financial-management/cherry-sheets/2016-cherry-shets/

• Click here to see DESE’s calculation of fiscal 2016 Chapter 70 aid for your city, town, or regional school district, based on the Governor’s proposed budget:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/finance/chapter70/

UNRESTRICTED MUNICIPAL AID
In a major victory for cities and towns, House One (the Governor’s fiscal 2016 budget submission) would provide $979.8 million for UGGA, a $34 million increase over current funding.  This fulfills one of Gov. Baker’s major campaign promises to increase direct municipal aid in fiscal 2016 by at least 75 percent of the growth rate in state tax revenues, with a target of reaching 100 percent in future years.

The $34 million would increase UGGA funding by 3.6 percent, which is 75 percent of the projected 4.8 percent increase in state tax collections next year.  This would be the largest increase in discretionary municipal aid in nearly a decade.  Every city and town would see their UGGA funding increase by 3.6 percent.

CHAPTER 70 SCHOOL AID
The Governor’s budget submission also proposes a 2.4 percent increase in Chapter 70 education aid of $105.3 million, with a provision providing every city, town and school district an increase of at least $20 per student.  House One would continue to implement the target share provisions enacted in 2007.  This Chapter 70 increase would be similar to growth levels in recent years.  Because most cities and towns only receive minimum aid (203 operating districts in cities, towns and regions would only receive minimum aid under House One), the MMA has urged the Governor and Legislature to agree on a budget that provides minimum aid of at least $100 per student, and will continue to advocate for higher funding.

House One contains language that would continue to allow communities to count retiree health insurance toward their net school spending, but only if they have done so beginning when the school finance law first went into effect in 1994, or if they have already voted to adopt last year’s local-option provision in section 260 of the fiscal year 2015 general appropriations act to allow a phase-in of retiree health insurance costs in their net school spending calculation.

SPECIAL EDUCATION CIRCUIT BREAKER UNDERFUNDED
The Governor’s budget would level-fund the Special Education Circuit Breaker program at $253.4 million.  Because special education costs are expected to rise in fiscal 2016, this means that the Governor’s budget likely underfunds reimbursements by at least several million dollars.  This is a vital account that every city, town and school district relies on to fund state-mandated services.  The Legislature has fully fund the program for the past three years, and the MMA will again be asking lawmakers to ensure full funding in fiscal 2016.

CHARTER SCHOOL REIMBURSEMENTS UNDERFUNDED
Under state law, cities and towns that host or send students to charter schools are entitled to be reimbursed for a portion of their lost Chapter 70 aid.  The state fully funded the reimbursement program in fiscal 2013 and 2014, but is underfunding reimbursements by approximately $36 million this year.  The Governor’s budget would level-fund charter school reimbursements at $76.8 million, which would guarantee another major shortfall in fiscal 2016, and result in cutbacks for the majority of students who remain in the traditional school setting.

REGIONAL SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION REIMBURSEMENTS LEVEL FUNDED
Last November, former Gov. Patrick used his 9C budget powers to eliminate the $18.7 million increase regional school transportation reimbursements that the Legislature originally enacted for fiscal 2015, reducing the final amount to $51.5 million.  Gov. Baker’s budget submission would level-fund regional transportation reimbursements at the $51.5 million amount.  This will be a hardship for virtually all communities in regional districts.

McKINNEY-VENTO REIMBURSEMENTS WOULD INCREASE BY $1 MILLION
The Governor’s budget would add $1 million to increase reimbursements for the transportation of homeless students to $8.4 million.  While the account remains below the full reimbursement called for under the state’s unfunded mandate law, it would be the first increase since fiscal 2013.  Separately, the Governor has proposed a new reserve fund and action plan to decrease the placement of homeless families in hotels and motels, which would reduce the cost of the mandate on cities and towns, over time.

METCO FUNDING WOULD BE RESTORED TO ORIGINAL FISCAL 2015 LEVELS
The Governor’s fiscal 2016 budget would increase funding for the METCO program by $1.2 million, returning it to the $19.1 million level passed in the original fiscal 2015 budget.  The $1.2 million reduction in fiscal 2015 came from 9C cuts in November and February.

PAYMENTS-IN-LIEU-OF-TAXES (PILOT), SHANNON GRANTS, LIBRARY AID ACCOUNTS ALL LEVEL FUNDED
The Governor’s budget would level fund PILOT payments at $26.77 million, Shannon anti-gang grants at $7 million, and continue to fund library grant programs at $18.5 million.

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS TODAY AND CALL ON THEM TO PUBLICLY SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR’S PROPOSAL TO INCREASE UNRESTRICTED MUNICIPAL AID BY $34 MILLION – THIS INCREASE IS VITAL TO LOCAL BUDGETS IN EVERY CORNER OF MASSACHUSETT

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Posted in Budgets, State

BAKER PLANS $105 MILLION INCREASE IN SCHOOL AID

Posted on March 3, 2015 | Comments Off on BAKER PLANS $105 MILLION INCREASE IN SCHOOL AID

John Nunnari regularly emails town officials news from the legislature, and this story by the State House News Service is a preview of a fairly rosy municipal and school aid proposal in the budget for next year –

 

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, MARCH 3, 2015….State aid for public schools would rise by 2.4 percent next fiscal year and unrestricted local aid would increase by 3.6 percent in Gov. Charlie Baker’s budget proposal, which is set to be fully released on Wednesday.

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said the increases fulfill the governor’s pledge during the campaign to boost state aid in concert with rising state revenues – state tax collections are due to rise 4.8 percent in the next fiscal year, which begins on July 1.

The Chapter 70 school aid account in Baker’s budget will feature a $105 million increase, which means a minimum increase of $20 per student, Polito told the News Service during an interview Tuesday prior to a meeting with mayors and other municipal officials.

Unrestricted local aid, which is predominantly generated by Lottery profits, would increase to $980 million in Baker’s budget plan, which will undergo review and redrafting in the Legislature in the coming months.

Specific information about levels recommended for other local aid accounts – regional school transportation, payments in lieu of taxes, and special education, for example – was not available.

“We felt the focus should be on Chapter 70 school aid and on the unrestricted aid, and let the school districts and the municipal managers determine how best to utilize those dollars,” said Polito, a former state representative and local official.

The extra state aid will help cities and towns cope with rising health care costs, school enrollment increases and snow management costs, Polito said.

“Level funding is a cut,” she said. “And we felt that it was necessary to increase the percentage for both school aid and unrestricted aid in order to help our communities perform the services to the quality they need to help our families and our hardworking taxpayers.”

Baker budget aides say his spending plan will also restore fiscal 2015 budget levels for the METCO program, which enables students from Boston and Springfield to attend schools outside those cities.

Baker and Gov. Deval Patrick cut METCO funding in recent months as part of efforts to address a deficit in this year’s state budget.

A Baker budget aide said the governor’s spending plan would include “a lot of level funding.” The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation has estimated a $1.5 billion gap between expected revenues and expenses next year.

Baker is tackling that budget gap without recommending any tax hikes and does not plan to draw money from the state’s stabilization fund, which lawmakers have regularly used to support spending plans.

The governor’s budget bill, which will be the subject of hearings starting next week, also won’t include any “one-time gimmicks,” Polito said. “It’s a straight-forward budget that reflects the priorities that we have, which are helping our cities and towns succeed,” she said.

END
03/03/2015
Serving the working press since 1910
http://www.statehousenews.com

 

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Posted in Budgets, Schools, State

How many people does it take to run Medfield?

Posted on March 3, 2015 | Comments Off on How many people does it take to run Medfield?

Kristine Trierweiler has been putting financial figures together this week in response to queries about town budgets and finances, arising out of the upcoming public safety building special town meeting on March 23.  This data is a list of how many people it takes to run Medfield:

Total Personnel By Department

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -Full Time       Part Time
Town Administrator        9                      8 Includes Administrative Staff for all of   Town Hall
Town Accountant              1                      0
Treasurer                             1                      0
Assessors                              1                     0
Planning Board/ZBA         1                      0
Building Commissioner     1                      0
Park and Recreation           3                      0 Does Not include Summer Counselors or Lifeguards
Police                                   23                      0 Does not include Crossing Guards or Aux Police (MEMA)
Highway                              13                       0 Does not include 2‐3 Summer Laborers
Solid Waste                           2                      0
Fire Admin                            6                      0 Includes Chief and Call Deputy, Call Captain, Call LT
Fire Operations                    8                       0 FF/EMTS
Call Firefighters                   0                     20 On Call
Tree Warden                         0                        1
Sealer                                      0                        1
Animal Control                     1                         1 PT is for on call coverage
Youth Outreach                    2                         0
Wastewater Treatment       4                         0
Library                                    6                       17
Water and Sewer                  4                         0
Cemetery                                2                         0

Total                                      88                      48

School Department         368.8 Full Time Equivalents (FTE)

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Posted in Budgets

Town budget online

Posted on March 2, 2015 | Comments Off on Town budget online

As part of the discussions about the proposed public safety building, some have asked to see the town budget.  A summary of the budget has always been online as part of the town’s annual reports, which are online, but today Kristine Trierweiler added a more detailed version of the budget online.

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Posted in Budgets

Recycling

Posted on February 25, 2015 | Comments Off on Recycling

Commonwealth Magazine has an article on trash and recycling in Massachusetts, and we do not look so good – too much trash per person, and therefore spending too much on trash disposal.  On the map they publish we are one of the few in the red (800+ lbs of trash/person/year).

trashmap

Our single stream recycling has upped our recycling numbers some and brought our trash tonnage down some.

However, DEP consistently tells me that the only way to get our trash numbers down a lot is to go to pay-as-you-throw, but no one likes PAYT.  DEP pointed me to Duxbury’s example, as Duxbury saw a slight drop in its trash amounts when it went to single stream, but Duxbury only achieved a dramatic drop when it implemented PAYT a year of two later.

To me it is an issue of trade offs, how much inconvenience and cost are we willing to suffer via PAYT to save the town money on trash disposal.  We know PAYT saves towns money, but we currently prefer to pay higher taxes to avoid PAYT.

CommonWealth magazine points out that Massachusetts pay-as-you-throw communities-nearly one-third of municipalities in the state-throw out just 432 pounds per person per year on average, compared with 670 pounds in non-PAYT cities and towns.

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Posted in Budgets, Recycling & Solid Waste