HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-09-19-AC-summit
Budget Collaboration/Summit 1
September 19, 2005
A joint meeting olthe Board ol'Selectmen, School Committee and Finance Committees was held on
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Monday, September 19, 2005 at 5:30 p.m. in Estabrook Hall in the Cary Memorial Building. Chairman
Krieger, Mr. Kelley, Mr. Pagett, Mr. Cohen; and Mr. Manz; Ms. Vine, Assistant Town Manager; and
Ms. Pease, Executive Clerk were present.
The Chairs ol the respective committees called their members to order.
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Special Town Meeting — FY05/06 Budget Review/Adjustment
Ms. Vine and Mr. Young reviewed the FY06 balance issues. They include: Snow & Ice Deficit for
FY05 - $646,688; Prior Year's Bills (FY05) - $529,005; Municipal Utility Costs (estimate) - $106,000;
FY06 School Adjustments - $563,535; and Contractual Settlements (unknown at this time).
Dr. Ash, School Superintendent, reviewed the Prior Year's Bills for FY05, which includes the
following outstanding bills: Special Education - $113,296, Kelly Services - $1 17,572, Legal Services
- $1 x,019, Tsongas Arena - $2,899, Misc. vendors - $5,973, Curriculum work done in June -
$12,000, ServiceMaster - $25,750; Bills Returned from Town - $12,090; Utilities - $224,406.
The Board questioned what the new process for state reimbursement on school projects is.
Selectmen would like to have Lexington's legislators invited to a meeting in the near Iuture.
The Selectmen feel the outstanding bills need to be paid and therefore need to go before Town
Meeting in November and will need a 9/10' vote olTown Meeting Members.
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Dr. Ash reviewed the FY06 identified deficit items as olthe end ofAugust. The total is
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$1,292,235. The Schools have made reductions in the budget for FY06 totaling $728,000,
leaving a deficit of $563,535.
It was requested that the School Committee provide a list ol the FY05 projections and actuals.
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To help with the problem of deficits in the tutor accounts, Dr. Ash plans to have the Director of
Education approve timesheets for all tutors to make sure it matches with each contract; no
additional tutors will be hired without the approval o(the Director ofEducation, and current tutors
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will be reviewed to see if they are all necessary.
There was discussion about the need for a contingency fund for special education expenses, what the
process should be, and what year it should be implemented. The School Committee would like to
have a contingency fund, but it is too early in the school year to come up with a figure.
Budget Collaboration/Summit I — September 19, 2005
There was much discussion about whether to ask for a supplemental appropriation at the
November Special Town Meeting or wait until the April 2006 Annual Town Meeting.
Individual members of the Appropriations Committee felt it was important to report to Town
Meeting what is known now. One School Committee member thought it should be brought to the
Special Town Meeting.; another as concerned about what the message would be.
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Selectmen suggest putting two articles on the November Special Town Meeting Warrant that
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would be flexible enough to allow discussion at the Town Meeting.
Potential Funding Sources
Funding options include: Net State Aid Increase - $502,797; FY06 Growth — unknown; Free
Cash - $4,970,000; Stabilization Fund - $1,568,013.
Suggested date for next Budget Collaboration/Summit is Monday, October 24, 2005 at 5:30 p.m. The
meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
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A record; Attest:
Lynne A. Pease
Executive Clerk