State House Speaker Sal DiMasi predicted Monday that local aid will be cut from 5-10% next fiscal year, FY2010. The 2010 fiscal year begins in July 1, 2009. He left open the possibility that local aid could also be cut in the current fiscal year.
The speaker's suggestion that local aid could see a 10 percent cut, and that a smaller reduction could be made during the current fiscal year, will likely alarm local officials who rely on Beacon Hill aid to provide services. "There's going to have to be some cuts made across the board in fiscal 2010," DiMasi told a group of reporters assembled in his office. "Now how much of a cut local aid will take is a matter of how much. It's not a matter of whether they will take a cut. Barring any super-bailout from the federal government, cities and towns, from all the information that we have, will take a cut. Whether that be five or 10 percent, I suggest it's going to be at least five and as much as 10 percent."Dartmouth's current budget projections assumed no increase in state aid for next year. A cut would ...
... balloon the projected shortfall which is already more than $800,000. That shortfall also assumed no pay increases for town employees which is unlikely. What categories of state aid are included in the cuts is important but unknown at this time. Dartmouth gets about $13 million in Chapter 70 school money, lottery, and state aid funds. The reduction could be as little $20,000 if only direct state aid is cut by 5% or as much as $1.3 million if lottery and Chapter 70 funds are also included and the cut is 10%. Here is a link to the Standard Times article on Speaker Dimasi's remarks.
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21 comments:
Bill, with these types of cuts in local aid likely who should we direct our concerns too at the state level? If they feel these cuts are coming should not the State allow cities and towns the possibility of a meals/hotel tax? This would give us at least some ammunition to work with as far as raising some much needed revenues without resorting to higher property taxes and massive layoffs.
Bill, Could you post sections 5-3 thru 5-5 of the town charter. There is some moron going on WBSM saying that he knows the charter and that the executive administrator is not responsible for the plan. Speaking of the plan, let's forget about five years for now. What does our executive administrator plan to do to balance the fy10 budget? There is only about 6 months left before town meeting has to approve it.
There is a blog on the Standard Times "Our View no call back" today .It says : "Maybe they will investigate things like the body shop that was allowed to poison an area of town because of connections to a SB member the police and Gagne" . Does anyone know what this is about ? Is it fact ?
I must admit, I listen to WBSM and read the ST online, both I find pure entertainment. Just like this blog, take it with a grain of salt and consider the source (if there are any). I call it "poo throwing"..lets throw something out there in and hope it sticks.
WBSM? Does anyone really listen to that station any more? I thought they only had infomercial format and national syndicate guys these days?
of course its fact Frank1 its in the standard times on a blog what other proof do you need? Wonder what else they're hiding from us? (que the conspiracy music)
sections 5-3 thru 5-5 deal with the budget process not the "plan" I believe he was refering to 3-2 which states"The select board shall serve as the chief policy making agency of the town. The select board shall be responsible for the formulation and promulgation of policy directives and guidelines to be followed by all town agencies serving under it and, in conjunction with other elected town officers and multiple member bodies to develop and promulgate policy guidelines designed to bring the operation of all town agencies into harmony." sounds like the plan doesnt it?
Anon 3:46 - I think the cuts discussed last year will likely be on the table once again. They include library cuts, significant cuts to the DPW workforce and others. Thats my understanding of where this money will come from barring any reversal of fortune. From there the answers will rest with the new EA.
Regionilization is a possiblilty but will include lots of talk with willing partners - the sooner those partners are fleshed out the better as I see this as a loooong term possibility not a short term answer like personnel cuts would be.
If regionilization is part of the solution maybe the County structure we already have is worth looking as as the framework around which various services are regionalized. Like I said this will take a lot of dialogue and cooperation bwtween communities. A very tall order.
Many townspeople don't want cuts, they want the chance to vote on another override. Why is an override not an option?
Bill, I think you should post the article 5 sections and let people decide if that's the plan or not. To anon 5:26 the plan IS part of the budget process and the executive administrators responsibility.
For anonymous asking for an override. Your question shows why we need a plan. Right now there's no budget and so, no override request. We know we will be short, but what we don't know is what will be done about it. If we had planned, we would know.
The lack of planning is the Select Board's fault.
You gotta love Bob Carney! Who wrote that letter for him that was in the ST this morning? The town's Atty already said that those contracts were not in the best interest of the town. Was Carney and the others looking out for the town or protecting Gagne & others? It was obvious that Miller could see that the town was sick of business as usual and his days were numbered. Talk about back room deals!Carney, Dias, Miller & Horan-McLean should be ashamed of themselves!
to anon 8:36:
Sure, lets blame the 5 part-time volunteers for the fact that our paid ($119,000)Exec. Admin. hasn't produced a balanced budget for our town.
Mr. Gagne does many things well, however, in my opinion, he has not grown with the town. He has never advanced his skills in computer technology or town management by way of higher education courses. There are articles daily about how towns are re-inventing how they deliver services. Dartmouth must get on board!
For the record, Anonymous 8:19, there were five signatures on those contracts: Jreck Leduc, chairperson at the time; Robert Carney; Nathalie Dias, vice-chairperson; Robert Miller; and Kathleen Horan McLean.
You forgot one signature on those contracts---Anthony Savastano
You're right! Thanks!
Interesting. Atty Savastano also said in Aug of 2008, that the contracts were not in the best interest of the town.What's up with that?
You do have to wonder how two attorneys, Kathleen Horan McLean and Anthony Savastano, could have let those provisions get through. Sure, they may have been legal, but not morally legal. They certainly are not proving beneficial to any of us.
hey, lets get those same provisions out of the union deals too. if the dept heads and exec admin cant have them either should the unions.
The now infamous contracts in Dartmouth have nothing to do with union contracts for employees. With union contracts, both parties enter into a contract and it usually takes time to iron out all the provisions. They should not be compared with those back room deals of Miller, Carney, Dias, Leduc, and Horan-McLean. We need to get rid of those contracts and move forward. Contracts for employees who belong to a union are not the same thing.
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