Ponderpalooza: Selectmen Continue to Weigh April Override

The Selectmen are pondering whether to put a Proposition 2 1/2 override before voters, despite a clear message from its own Financial Task Force.

The Selectmen are pondering whether to put a Proposition 2 1/2 override before voters, despite a clear message from its own Financial Task Force.

There has certainly been no shortage of information on the precarious state of town finances in recent weeks, yet Belmont’s three Selectmen continue to ponder whether to put a Proposition 2 1/2 Override before voters in April to address the problem.

Just so you know: the Board’s next go-round will be tomorrow evening, Tuesday February 17, a 6:00 PM when it will hold a joint meeting with the School Committee in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room at Town Hall. A whopping 15 minutes have been set aside to discuss an override. I strongly encourage all my readers to attend – and bring some friends. The agenda is here.

By law, voters must approve any increase in property taxes that would increase net property tax revenue (less new growth) above the state-mandated 2 1/2 percent annual growth. The Board of Selectmen act as gatekeepers, with a majority needed to agree to put any override on the ballot. Belmont last approved a Proposition 2 1/2 override to fund town and school operations more than a decade ago, in 2002, though overrides to fund so-called “debt exclusions” (read: “construction loans”) have been approved since then to pay for capital projects including the Senior Center, the Wellington Elementary School and, recently, a portion of the cost of the Underwood Pool.

Belmont’s Board of Selectmen is currently weighing a report (PDF) by its own Financial Task Force – the product of 18 months of hard work by representatives of the town’s main committees (School, Capital Budget, Warrant), as well as the Town Manager. That report was unequivocal in its findings. Namely:

  • Belmont should seek a $4.5 million increase in revenue via an override of the state’s Proposition 2 1/2 property tax cap. While this will not solve all of the town’s problems (a number in the neighborhood of $8 million is needed), it will buy the Town time to muster support for further revenue increases and, possibly, realize some marginal savings elsewhere in the town budget.
  • Belmont faces a $2.8 million revenue shortfall in its next fiscal year (FY2016), a $4.4 million gap in fiscal year 2017 and a $7.7 million shortfall in revenue by FY 2019 if there is no action to increase town revenues – 80 percent of which come from residential property taxes.

Some other notable findings in the Financial Task Force report:

  • Our fiscal deficits exist despite flat-line budgeting and steep cuts in school and town services. Town departments have “incurred staffing reductions over the years” and “are stretched extremely thin in terms of resources.”
  • Over the last 20 years Public Works permanent staff has been reduced by 26% and seasonal staff by 58%
  • Fire and Police staffing have been reduced by 10 positions. Further reductions will require elimination of core services
  • The Belmont Public Schools budget has been “structurally insufficient for the past few years, resulting in freezes in staff hiring and the purchase of materials in this year (FY15) as well as FY14).
  • Increased enrollment in the public schools and state-mandated spending in areas like special education will force the town to increase spending there.
  • Belmont has added 300 students over projections in the last three years and is projected to add 300 more in the next three years: close to the enrollment of an entire elementary school worth of children.

That seems pretty straight forward to me. Consider also that the Board heard, in a Saturday morning working group meeting, from School Superintendent, John Phelan, about the projected cuts that will be needed for the public schools to live within the projected budget for next fiscal year. As reported by The Belmontonian, that includes the elimination of 22 staff positions, increases in non-instructional “free” periods and increases in fees for activities and extracurricular activities.

Town Administrator David Kale discussed the limited revenue options available to the town, which gets 80 cents of every dollar from residential property taxes and another 9 cents in the form of state aid. In other words: there are few sources of additional revenue that will make any appreciable dent in the Town’s structural deficit. The Town has also drained most sources of “one time” money to paper over deficits in previous years.

It is unclear what more will come out of the joint session with the School Committee. Perhaps some more hand wringing and brow knitting. More frustration at the “unfunded mandates” passed down to communities like Belmont from both State and Federal officials. I join them in their frustration – AND I recognize that the time for outrage is not now.

In short: the writing is on the wall. What we need now – as always- is clear headed and astute political leadership that can read that writing and act decisively in the best interest of the Town. I hope you will all join me in urging our Selectmen: Mr. Paolillo, Mr. Baghdady and Mr. Rojas to act now to put this issue before voters. You can e-mail them (all) at: selectmen@belmont-ma.gov 

Tell your friends!

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Paul Roberts, Editor, Blogging Belmont