Budget Committee: July 2008 Archives
July 29th, 2008
BY MICHAEL KITCH
MEREDITH — The Board of Selectmen threw a tight rope around the 2009 town budget after a lengthy debate at a workshop yesterday, asking Town Manager Carol Granfield to limit any increase in expenditures to 2-percent and incorporate job performance in any cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The guidelines represented something of a victory for Selectmen Colette Worsman and Miller Lovett, whose past efforts at paring budget increases have failed to win support from their colleagues. Yesterday, however, Chairman Peter Brothers found himself in the minority when both Bob Flanders and Chuck Palm met Worsman and Lovett halfway. The board set its ambitious objectives despite a memorandum from Brenda Vittner, director of administrative services, indicating that projected increases in the cost of utilities, fuel and salt as well as wages and benefits would boost spending by at least $339,500, .......
Anyone who prepares a budget knows that it’s not an easy process, especially as wants have to give way to needs nowadays, and even needs have to be prioritized. Multiply that by a hefty number, and with a far more needs to consider, and you’ve got any town budget. It’s a grueling process for any town, but was especially true for Moultonboro last year. Without a town administrator, the selectmen took on multiple duties and budget sessions in order to see the budget to its presentation this year. It’s why we’re happy to see Moultonboro establishing an advisory budget committee in town. Extra pairs of hands and eyes are always useful when it comes to financial matters, and especially so in a time when hard decisions may have to be made. The more opinions that can be voiced, the more complete picture the selectmen and the school board will have to work with in the next budget season. As to whether this becomes an annual occurrence, we hope everyone looks at the committee with an open mind. Fears have been expressed to us in the past that if Moultonboro gets a budget committee, the budget process will become rancorous and would divide the community. It’s true that money can be a divisive issue – most married couples we know will admit to an argument or two (or three).
The Citizen July 8th, 2009
Editor, The Citizen:
The Moultonborough selectmen and school board have finally appointed the Advisory Budget Committee (ABC). The three appointees (Jean Beadle, Ed Marudzinski and Gary Haracz) are well qualified and will be doing an incredible amount of work in the inaugural year of this effort. They will not only have the budgeting recommendations to work towards, but they will be establishing precedence with almost every step they take. Knowing two of the three appointees, I have no doubt they will take their charge very seriously. If this new effort is like most similar efforts, I am sure they will have stumbling blocks of resistance to overcome along the way. I only hope that they will not be discouraged and that the road to success for this committee will be smoother that I expect. I further hope that any resistance does not come from the above mentioned boards. It was, remember, a town meeting change (late night) in the warrant article that asked for an "elected budget committee" that made this committee "appointed" and so therefore it exists at the will of the two boards…
