2008-02-13-AC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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February 13, 2008 Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee February 13, 2008 Place and Time: Town Office Building, Room G-15, 7:00 PM Members Present:Alan Levine (Chair), John Bartenstein (Secretary), Deborah Brown, Pam Hoffman, Susan McLeish, Michael Kennealy, Eric Michelson, Rob Addelson (ex officio, non- voting) Also present (at resumed meeting following Budget summit): Tom Griffiths and Tom Diaz of the School Committee; Maryellen Dunn, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Business; Dawn McKenna The meeting was called to order at 7:01 p.m. Lexington Public Schools Budget 1.In preparation for Budget Collaboration-Summit Meeting 5, scheduled for later in the evening, the Committee discussed further the pending proposal to utilize $350,000 in arguably non-recurring Free Cash, which will be freed up by “pre- funding” a Special Education (SPED) reserve in that amount from anticipated FY2008 school surpluses, to help close the existing gap in the schools proposed FY2009 operating budget. Deborah Brown and Eric Michelson circulated a preliminary draft of a future year budget projection in order to help the Committee evaluate the likely amount of a budget gap that may develop for FY2010 and what that may imply for FY2009 budget decisions. It was noted that the School Committee had voted resolutions at its February 11 meeting not only to request a reallocation at the Annual Town Meeting of $350,000 of its anticipated FY2008 surplus to fund a SPED reserve, but also to leave an additional $350,000 of any FY2008 surplus that may be realized unspent with the understanding that it would flow to Free Cash and be available to further fund the SPED reserve and/or to help reduce or avoid an override in FY2010. There was a discussion of updated financial data in the memo on “Summit V – FY09 School Committee Budget Request” from Asst. Supt. Maryellen Dunn to Supt. Paul Ash. Concerns were expressed that it was difficult to make fair year-to-year comparisons in terms of both dollars and number of employees expressed, e.g., as FTEs. The changing treatment of facilities costs and personnel was one complicating factor. In light of the projection of a large surplus for FY2008, Committee members were also interested in comparing the proposed FY2009 budget against a FY2008 budget adjusted downward to reflect the likely recurring savings with respect to the appropriated budget (and that were assumed to be recurring in the preparation of the FY2009 School budget). The Committee was polled regarding the use of $350,000 of funds originally proposed to fund a SPED reserve as funds available for the 2009 operating budget. Four approved, one was not in favor, and two felt they required additional information to reach a conclusion.