2005-03-10-AC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

March 10, 2005 Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee March 10, 2005 Place and time: Room 105, Town Office Building, 7:30 p.m. Members present: Alan Levine (Chair), Richard Eurich, Ron Pawliczek, Paul Hamburger, Rod Cole, Deborah Brown, Eric Michelson, John Bartenstein Also present: Michael Young, Budget Officer 1. RC agreed to be minute taker. 2. There was a discussion of tax rate setting issues. With the CIP at 1.8, the property tax increase for residential property goes up 12.9% and commercial property tax goes up 4.7%. The CIP needs to come down to 1.75 by FY 2008. We may want to propose a new process so that the selectmen get the required information in a timelier manner so they have more time to consider the facts before setting the CIP than they had this year. MY noted that the BOS are considering a tax 101 & 102 seminar over the summer. 3. AL asked MY to find out who are the 10 new people on the town side of the budget. 4. PH reported on new growth for 2005. It is set at $1.69M, which results in an extra $290K in the ’06 budget. A possible split of the extra money is $91K for the schools, $31,339 for Minuteman, and $15K for trees, leaving about $150K for other uses. The sense of the AC (7 pro, 1 abstain) is to use $91K for schools, and $31K for Minuteman, and have a budget collaboration meeting to deal with how to split up the rest of the new money. 5. There was a discussion of snow and ice budgets. This year it appears that the snow and ice expenditures will be about $950K. In coming years, we’d like to see the snow and ice line item increased to a more realistic level. The possibility was raised of a supplemental appropriation in ’05 to reduce the snow and ice deficit that impacts the ‘06 budget. PH proposed that MY go back to staff to consider what makes sense regarding a supplemental appropriation. 6. There was a discussion of when to meet during town meeting and it was decided to meet Tuesday March 15 at 8 pm, and March 21 at 7:30 pm, and on nights of town meeting to meet at 6:15. 7. The sense of the AC was not to vote in favor of Article 17, money for trees, until we better understand the other possible uses of $15K. 8. Concerns were raised regarding Article 30E (school security systems). It is felt we need a report on how the system will be used and what problem is being solved. A motion to oppose this Article passed by a vote of 8-0. - 1 -