Budget Committee: December 2008 Archives
Our Selectmen met 12/10/2008 in a” budget workshop”. In a continuing effort to not just provide the information, but also bringing to the forefront issues and concerns we present the following from this meeting:
- Possibly eliminate the public pay phone ( saving $750) and the bottled water ( $3,000) per year.
- Fee structure/application fee ( for out of town users not residents or property owners) for boat launches.
- Recreation department made a request to convert the cell phones to a reimbursement policy similar to the Police department. Study group to be formed to look at this across all town offices. We would like to know the cost difference and the Police policy.
- Recreation questioned whether some programs that are not utilized would be cancelled. Some may and some may not. ( Which ones we don’t know) . It was suggested that they may need to continue to run losses on the senior trips until it becomes better subscribed. How much?
- It was discussed by the Town Administrator to save money by reducing the advertising budget by 1/3 by not publishing items not required by law to publish. ( Granted there is a web site that will provide much information, but we continually find it difficult to get basic information from our elected officials. )
- A proposal was made by the Town Administrator to create an Office of Development & Inspectional Services (ODIS. This would bundle together CEO, Planner, and Land Use accounts. Per the minutes “…the CEO felt strongly he should only report directly to the BoS”.
- Town Clerk is proposing and increase in her office from 53 hours per week to 70. Does this mean we will have a full time Town Clerk?
Minutes follow……
OFFICE OF SELECTMEN
Selectmen’s Workshop December 10, 2008
MINUTES
Present: Karel A. Crawford, Edward S. Charest, James F. Gray, Joel R. Mudgett, Betsey L. Patten;
Carter Terenzini, Town Administrator.
Also Present: Advisory Budget Committee: Jean Beadle, Gary Haracz, Ed Marudzinski
The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m....
By
eplummer@citizen.com
The Citizen Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The proposed town manager's budget for Meredith reflects a decrease of less than one percent as the budget was presented to the Board of Selectmen for the first time.
On Monday, Meredith selectmen reviewed the proposed budget compiled by co-interim town managers John Edgar and Brenda Vittner in the first of what will be a series of budget discussions by the selectmen leading up to town meeting.
The 2009 proposed municipal budget is $12,859,355, a decrease of $7,556 or 0.06 percent from 2008.
The departments' operating budget is $10,880,945, an $86,647 or 0.8 percent increase from 2008. Regional association and conservation contributions are $223,077, down $2,100 from 2008. Capital projects, debt service and CIP recommendations are $1,793,649, down $92,113.
Edgar and Vittner said during their presentation that highlights of the 2009 budget included fiscal restraint after selectmen gave direction in July that the budget should not have an increase of more than two percent from last year.
The amount also includes a cost-of-living adjustment of 2.5 percent, but merit step increases will be frozen for 2009…..
Declining enrollment and hard times call for recommended action.
By HARRISON HAAS
hhaas@citizen.com
The Citizen Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The Gilford School Board is backing a $23.3 million budget for next year, 0.66 percent below the district's current operating budget. Concern from the elementary school staff was directed to the board with the possible elimination of two positions that would decrease the payroll and health care section of the budget.
The bottom line of the budget, which now goes to the Budget Committee for review, is $23,316,817.
"We are aware of the financial status right now," said Carol Young-Podmore, a teacher in the elementary school. "We believe that one more year with an assistant principal would be beneficial."
The Board is seeking to cut out the Assistant Principal position along with a guidance position at the elementary school. Currently the two elementary guidance teachers serve 80 students, which is a 1:5 ratio of students receiving service.
According to statistics, Superintendent Dr. Paul DeMinico claimed that a group of 200 students requires the need of one guidance counselor…..
