Controller
Financial services, fixed asset update is done with an outside consultant. It is an annual expense and done at the end of the year.
Legal
Up to 2002, the Town used outside council. When Jeff came in, he thought it would be better to have that service in house. Cost avoidance is done by awareness and on-going training. The bylaws and town regulations have been re-written over time to ensure the best legal position.
Mid-to-late 80's this budget line items was quarter million dollars. Effectively, the process of having our lawyer in-house saves us money.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Live reporting - Insurance, Town Council, Town Admin, Finance
Insurance claims
Folks should be aware of the MA General law in this area. If the Town has no prior knowledge of the pothole, the Town has no obligation to pay the claim against it. If they do know of it, and fail to fill it, they are liable for up to $5,000.
Insurance of $315,000 was approved.
Town Council
There is no budget line item for payroll as the Town Council is a total volunteer effort. Contrary to what some folks believe, they Town Council does not get paid for what they do.
Town Administrations
Budget cut on training and travel.
Some items shifted to other departments.
Finance Committee
The one annual training will be held at Tri-County in October. That will save some expenses this time.
Folks should be aware of the MA General law in this area. If the Town has no prior knowledge of the pothole, the Town has no obligation to pay the claim against it. If they do know of it, and fail to fill it, they are liable for up to $5,000.
Insurance of $315,000 was approved.
Town Council
There is no budget line item for payroll as the Town Council is a total volunteer effort. Contrary to what some folks believe, they Town Council does not get paid for what they do.
Town Administrations
Budget cut on training and travel.
Some items shifted to other departments.
Finance Committee
The one annual training will be held at Tri-County in October. That will save some expenses this time.
Live reporting - Human Resources
Pensions
"We don't control the pensions at all." - Jeff Nutting
"Once you were more than 20 hours a week, then you are in the pension system." That is a county decision.
"They have a fiduciary responsibility to manage their funding."
Health Insurance
Retired Teachers were moved from the State plan to move it to a local control. They have saved $400,000 from the peak of 1.4 M in FY 07.
"It did have a significant savings. The retirees did have angst but are now a very satisfied group." Stephanie McNeil
"The employees have been excellent in changing co-pays to save premium dollars... It is a constant on-going analysis every year." Nutting
The active plans increased 2% and the retired plans dropped about the same so it was really more of a flat (i.e. no rate increase) budget.
Any change in co-pay is a negotiation item with all 13 unions.
Medicare
Audited the payroll records in detail to review classifications.
The experience rating (i.e. accidents) and a competitive rate recently bid has produced savings in this area this year.
Unemployment
Driven in good times and bad by the school system. The requirement of new teachers to become certified has created some turnover for those teachers on a regular basis.
There is some exposure in this area as the school budget is not finalized and the number of teachers that may be laid off is not known. We did well last year with the 42 teachers that were laid off about 20 of them got jobs right away.
The employee benefits budget of over $7 million was approved.
"We don't control the pensions at all." - Jeff Nutting
"Once you were more than 20 hours a week, then you are in the pension system." That is a county decision.
"They have a fiduciary responsibility to manage their funding."
Health Insurance
Retired Teachers were moved from the State plan to move it to a local control. They have saved $400,000 from the peak of 1.4 M in FY 07.
"It did have a significant savings. The retirees did have angst but are now a very satisfied group." Stephanie McNeil
"The employees have been excellent in changing co-pays to save premium dollars... It is a constant on-going analysis every year." Nutting
The active plans increased 2% and the retired plans dropped about the same so it was really more of a flat (i.e. no rate increase) budget.
Any change in co-pay is a negotiation item with all 13 unions.
Medicare
Audited the payroll records in detail to review classifications.
The experience rating (i.e. accidents) and a competitive rate recently bid has produced savings in this area this year.
Unemployment
Driven in good times and bad by the school system. The requirement of new teachers to become certified has created some turnover for those teachers on a regular basis.
There is some exposure in this area as the school budget is not finalized and the number of teachers that may be laid off is not known. We did well last year with the 42 teachers that were laid off about 20 of them got jobs right away.
The employee benefits budget of over $7 million was approved.
Live reporting - Town Clerk, Assessors, Building
The Town Clerk and the elections budgets were approved.
The Assessors budget was approved. There will be a reduction of one clerk in this department. It may affect window service at the Municipal Building but the forms and information generally required is available from the Town website.
The Building Inspectors budget was approved. There is a reduction of one inspector in the FY 10 budget. An inspector brought on and trained during FY 09 is being let go. The approaching risk is that when the economy picks up the permitting process may grow in volume. If the volume increases, there could be risk of not reviewing a permit within 30 days. If the permit was not reviewed within 30 days, it is automatically approved. That is the risk. The contingency is to use the existing employees to cover the permits and take away from window service available hours. At some point an increase in permit volume will require additional staffing to return.
The overall Town budget is down 10 full employees from FY 09 to FY 10.
The Assessors budget was approved. There will be a reduction of one clerk in this department. It may affect window service at the Municipal Building but the forms and information generally required is available from the Town website.
The Building Inspectors budget was approved. There is a reduction of one inspector in the FY 10 budget. An inspector brought on and trained during FY 09 is being let go. The approaching risk is that when the economy picks up the permitting process may grow in volume. If the volume increases, there could be risk of not reviewing a permit within 30 days. If the permit was not reviewed within 30 days, it is automatically approved. That is the risk. The contingency is to use the existing employees to cover the permits and take away from window service available hours. At some point an increase in permit volume will require additional staffing to return.
The overall Town budget is down 10 full employees from FY 09 to FY 10.
LIve reporting - Finance Committee 4/21/09
No agenda was published on the Town website for this meeting (at least that I could find).
Full listing of attendees not available due to viewing the meeting via cable.
This is the second of the FY 10 budget hearings.
Full listing of attendees not available due to viewing the meeting via cable.
This is the second of the FY 10 budget hearings.
Book Signing - LeeRoy U Bailey, Jr - 5/2/09
LeeRoy U Bailey, Jr will be at Treesavers Book Outlet on Saturday May 2, to sign his book; A Different Perspective on How to Reach Heaven: You Must Be Born Again.
LeeRoy will be on site at Treesavers from noon to 4:00 PM. For more information you can email LeeRoy at brnagain@gmail.com or visit his website here.
LeeRoy will be on site at Treesavers from noon to 4:00 PM. For more information you can email LeeRoy at brnagain@gmail.com or visit his website here.
Finance Committee Mtg 4/21/09
The review of the FY 2010 budget continues this evening at the Finance Committee meeting at 7:00 PM. The first several department budgets were reviewed last Thursday and reported on here
The specific department budgets being reviewed this evening is not yet published.
The specific department budgets being reviewed this evening is not yet published.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)