Politics & Government

Lynnfield Voters To Consider Prop 2 1/2 Override

Town to vote on $555,000 override on June 6.

The next major step in Lynnfield's difficult FY 2012 budget process will come on Monday, June 6 when town voters are asked to approve a $555,000 Prop. 2 1/2 override.

Selectmen set the June 6 date moments after the second half of town meeting concluded at nearly 11 p.m. Monday night. Residents and town officials spent much of the night approving the various department budgets amid fairly prolonged debate at some points.

With the pay as you throw trash proposal having failed to pass last week at the first town meeting session, nearly $360,000 was added back into the town budget to provide funds for trash collection services. Town officials had been counting on pay as you throw as one of several new revenue sources to close the town's budget deficit.

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This week's town meeting session focused on the various budget lines for town departments, and some citizens did offer motions that would have made substantial cuts in some areas – although none of these passed.

Various Motions Focused On Individual Budget Items

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For example, one motion would have eliminated the entire $382,500 police overtime budget for FY12, prompting selectman Arthur Bourque to warn that doing so would "totally destroy the response protocols that exist today in the Lynnfield Police Department." A significant portion of that overtime budget is also used for meeting some of the department's basic staffing needs at the present time.

Other motions that failed would have removed a respective $250,000 and $100,000 from line 81 in the FY12 budget, regarding expenses for school maintenance and buses. This particular line item has risen in the past year as the district continues moving toward more cost-effective contract school bus services.

Later in the meeting, another motion sought to trim the school system's budget increase for FY12 from 4.5 percent to 3 percent. Superintendent Robert Hassett got up to speak against this proposal, pointing out that he was already prepared to send out some 43 non-renewal and layoff notices to staff members in the event of a worst-case budget scenario.

After approving the budget line items, there was also a debate over the $1.16 million in capital budget items being sought for the town in the coming year under longer-term financing. These items range from new vehicles for the police and highway departments, to $7,488 in furnishings for the library, upgrades to the south fire station, and basement waterproofing at the senior center.

Town Accountant's Salary Back To Original

One motion that did pass came at the end of the evening when a citizen moved to restore $5,000 cut from town accountant Julie McCarthy's salary. Last week at the first town meeting session, citizens voted to lower McCarthy's salary from $85,000 to $80,000 because it had risen 9.5 percent for the year. Town officials argued against the move at the time, citing McCarthy's contributions to the town government as well as her valuable skill set. Town residents decided not to single McCarthy out in the budget, as no other individuals had been specifically affected like that.

Coming Up Next

Looking ahead, town voters will be asked to approve $555,000 in revenues to offset the lack of previously projected revenue from pay as you throw. Also, the school committee voted in separate action Monday night to reconsider its decision to implement busing fees if the town budget process ends up heading to an override. The busing fees had been expected to bring in some $200,000 in town revenues next year.

If the override vote fails, the next step would be for another town meeting to take place in June. At this point, more than 50 town employees could stand to lose their jobs, in departments ranging from the school district to the DPW and public safety entities.


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