2007-04-04-ATM-AC-rpt1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE lst REPORT, APRIL 4, 2007, TO 2007 ATM Preface This year the budget process has resulted in a scheduling squeeze on both ends; a complete budget was only arrived at on March 21, and the Town Meeting deliberation on the financial articles-and adjournment-must be completed by the end of April if a referendum on an operating override and a debt exclusion is going to be scheduled in the first week of June. Therefore, discussion of the non-operating financial articles is, at the moment, planned to start earlier than the discussion of the operating budget article. Given the circumstances, we will publish our recommendations in several reports rather than in one comprehensive report. This is the first of those reports. The topics covered include our recommendations on requests for capital expenditures, on the enterprise funds, on certain non-financial articles which have financial implications, and on the other financial articles with the exception of the Operating Budget (Article 21), the Department of Public Works (DPI Facility project (Article 36), and Articles 37 through 44. We do not attempt to present information that has been presented in other accessible forms to the Town Meeting. In particular, the Town Manager and staff have given an excellent overview of the estimated revenues and proposed expenditures for FY2008 in the "FY2008 Recommended Budget & Financing Plan," dated March 23, 2007 (the "Brown Book") (which has been distributed to all the Town Meeting members and is available online for all those with Internet access at httpalci.lexington.ma.uslTownManagerlBudget/budgetrecommended08.htm). The Superintendent of the Lexington Public Schools has also presented detailed information on the Schools Budget (available online at httpa/lps.lexingtonma.orgl). Overviews from the Town Manager, Superintendent, and staff, as well as many details on the nuts and bolts aspects of the budget, may be found in these materials. Another important reference for this Town Meeting is the report of the Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) (also available at httpalwww.lexingtontmma.org) which naturally contains much useful information on the proposed appropriations for capital projects. In addition, Appendix C of the Brown Book describes the role of the Appropriation Committee and includes a glossary of financial terms. As in past years, we participated with the Board of Selectmen, School Committee, and CEC in a series of budget collaboration/summit meetings. Those meetings have continued to be excellent opportunities to discuss the most salient budget issues and for us to give preliminary advice to the members of the other boards and committees. This year we again want to say that it has been a pleasure to work with Town Manager Carl Valente, Assistant Town Manager for Finance Rob Addelson, Budget Officer Michael Young, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Ash, and Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Mary Ellen Dunn, the Board of Selectmen, the School Committee, the CEC, and the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). We also thank the many other municipal and school staff, Town officials, and citizens who have contributed to our work in a wide variety of ways. Their contributions have been invaluable even though we do not acknowledge them individually. Page 6 of 39