TOWN OF BRADFORD
BUDGET COMMITTEE
DECEMBER 21, 2010
7:00PM
Call to Order and Roll Call:
Gary Wall, Chair called the meeting to order at 7:02pm with Don Jackson, Chris Aiken, Dick Keller, George Cilley, Beth Rodd present. Peter Fenton, Selectmen Representative and Marge Cilley, Secretary arrived at 8:00pm after the Selectmen’s Meeting.
Review and Consideration of December 7, 2010:
Motion was made by Beth Rodd to accept the minutes as presented, seconded by Chris Aiken. Motion carried 6-0.
Gary Wall, Chair suggested the committee look over the accounts and start tallying all the percentages and increases. One way would be with each account number where the figures were last year with the percentage, plus/minus this year and how it affects the entire budget, so there would be a running total of where it is going. Don Jackson volunteered to do these calculations to include Account number, Description, Dollar Increase, Percentage Increase and Accumulation of the Percentage in Dollar Amount.
Budget Worksheets from 12/20/2010
Acct. # Title End Bal. Percent $ +/-
4130 Executive $121,409.00 12.3% + $ 13,246.00
4140 Election, Registration 6,030.00 32.0%- ( 2,834.00)
Motion to accept by Chris Aiken, George Cilley seconded. Carried 6-0.
4150 Financial Adm. 90,262.00 11.5% 9,344.00
Hold
4152 Revaluation $ 25.550.00 27.3%+ 5,483.00
4153 Legal $ 22,000.00 46.7%+ 7,000.00
4155 Employee Benefits 297,442.60 11.0% 29,589.00
Hold and talk with Selectmen
4191 Planning $ 8,100.00 (19%) (1,900.00)
Passed on this before
4194 General Gove Bldgs $ 50,400.00 5.3% 2,518.00
Telephone, Misc Repairs Questions
4195 Cemetery $ 18,065.00 5.7% 980.00
Motion made by Beth Rodd to approve. Seconded by Chris Aiken. Carried
Trust Fund questioned.
4196 Insurances $ 76,700.00 22.0% 13,818.00
4199 Other General Govt. $ 10,100.00 5.2% 500.00
Clarification needed.
4210 Police $315,163.00 8.9% 25,653.00
Motion made by Chris Aiken to bring Police Chief for clarification. Seconded by Dick Keller. Carried 6-0
4220 Fire $ 59,250.00 (35.9%) (33,250.00)
Dredging Fire Pond questioned.
4225 Rescue $176,940.00 112.7% 93,775.00
4290 Emergency Mgt. $ 500.00 -0- -0-
4240 Building $ 10,850.00 ( 5.7%) ( 625.00)
Passed, but need to Question Bldg Code
4312 Highway $446,964.00 16.7% 63,901.00
OT Wages questioned
4316 Street Lights $ 4,500.00 1.1% 50.00
4313 Bridges 25.00 (75.0%) (75.00)
Passed before
4323 Transfer Station Coll. $ 47,850.00 (17.0%) (9,825.00)
Motion to accept made by Don Jackson, Seconded by Beth Rodd. Carried 6-0
4324 Transfer Station Disposal $ 52,000.00 (26.6%) (18,834.00)
Motion to approve made by George Cilley, seconded by Beth Rodd. Carried 6-0.
4415 Inoculations $ 250.00 (50.0%) ( 250.00)
Approved previously
4441 Welfare Admin $ 3,914.00 (2.4%) ( 980.00)
Motion to approve made by Chris Aiken. Seconded by Beth Rodd. Carried 6-0
4445 Vendor Payments $ 31,386.00 (18.2%) (6,991.00)
Motion to approve made by Dick Keller, seconded by Chris Aiken. Motion carried 6-0. Peter Fenton, Selectmen will check with Cheryl Behr, Administrator re: putting money aside.
4520 Parks & Rec $ 1,725.00 -0- -0-
Made by Don Jackson, seconded by Dick Keller carried 6-0
4550 Library $ 62,525.00 -0- -0-
Passed before, but Workman’s Comp questioned.
4583 Patriotic Purposes $ 14,500.00 -0- -0-
Motion to approve made by George Cilley, Seconded by Dick Keller. Motion carried 6-0.
4589 Community Center $ 50,050.00 (33.2%) (25,859.00)
Question Cleaning Amount Hold for now.
4619 Other Conservation $ 740.00 (5.1%) ( 40.00)
Motion to approve made by Beth Rodd, seconded by Chris Aiken. Motion carried 6-0.
4711 Long Term Notes $35.000.00 (30.0%) (15,000.00)
Passed before.
4723 Int. TAN Notes $ 3,000.00 50.0% 1,000.00
*NOTE:
Bottom Line Increase = 7.86% $150,394.00
Department Increase:
Police +$25,653.00
Fire ( $33,250.00)
Rescue $93,775.00
Highway $63,901.00
Total $ 150,079.00
Peter Fenton, Selectman Chair advised at the last joint Selectmen’s meeting, Regionalization was brought up and discussed.
Possibility of a Purchasing Agent, and how town procures goods and services, and getting bids was brought up. Peter Fenton stated that the Selectmen did not feel it would be worthwhile for the savings you might incur, to pay for a purchasing agent. Also, best deals on rental of equipment, blasting, Police, Fire, Rescue, should go through the exercise. Cleaning contract, Health Insurance also questioned. Gary Wall mentioned that the budgets of the departments are flying, and the population is not. Peter Fenton said that if the Budget Committee gives him a list of what they are concerned about for the different departments, he will take it to the Selectmen for looking into getting prices on equipment/services. It was stated that now the highway department has maintenance records on all the equipment. Health Insurance for employee’s was discussed at length.
Dick Keller advised that the bottom line of the overall budget is up 7.9% compared to 2010 and feels it is quite high, particularly looking at budgets in surrounding towns.
Motion was made by Dick Keller to set the Budget Committee’s total operating budget for the general municipal operation of the town for 2011 be no more than 1% greater than the total operating budget of the general municipal operation of the town for 2010. Dick advised if you take the $50,000 surplus in the Police Budget in 2010, compare it with the Selectmen’s budget for 2011, and the Police Dept. would be up 30%. The Highway Department is up 17%. Motion seconded by George Cilley. Peter Fenton, Gary Wall and Chris Aiken voted Nay. Motion carried 4-3.
The Rescue Department, Police Dept. and Highway Department need to come in and talk with the Budget Committee.
Dick Keller suggested the Selectmen look at the budget as voted on to see if they could meet this limitation. Some areas mentioned were 4199- Other General Gov’t with a $6,000 surplus, but requesting an additional $10,000. 4240-Building –Code Enforcement has a $2,000 left and requesting $10,000. 4312 – Highway under 3912, Blasting – out to bid questioned.
Jon Marden questioned Consulting-Purchasing – Pay for few hours. Copier contract, monitoring of alarm system. Track record of Purchase Orders/Invoicing.
Other topics discussed by the Budget Committee include a list of Comments and questions to the Budget Committee dated 12-21-2010 from Jon Marden. See Sheet back of Minutes
Next meeting scheduled for January 4, 2011 at 7:00pm
Meeting adjourned at 9:40pm
Respectfully submitted,
Marjorie R. Cilley, Secretary