Epsom News : budget

Cost-cutters lose to pleas for money

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:27:00 GMT

BY GINGER KOZLOWSKI

The big question for the Epsom Budget Committee this year was this: What figure must they hit for the town’s operating budget to guarantee voters will support the proposed budget and end a streak of four default budgets in a row?

Epsom selectmen were just as concerned with that figure, but disagreed on what that number should be. Because they decided the budget should have contained another $49,000 for raises in the Police Department and cost-of-living adjustments for town employees, they could not recommend the Budget Committee’s lower number.

The difference between the default and Budget Committee’s numbers was $118,000, aimed at making road improvements.

“The default budget is automatically a 4 percent increase over last year’s budget,” said Budget Committee Chairman Harvey Harkness. “The difference between the default and recommended budgets is essentially funds for our roads, in the amount of $118,000.”

He added that some raises were also included in that budget. “There’s a small amount for police, fire salaries,” he said. “Police have trouble keeping staff because of low salaries. We are a training ground for other communities. This would move salaries up a wee bit toward average.”

Selectman Joanne Randall took a stand for her board’s point of view.

“I believe the Budget Committee knew the gravity of this year, and the discussion was directed around how do we get a budget passed without cutting our nose off to spite our face?” she said. “I understand why Budget Committee did what they did, but I did not feel I could support the budget as it’s being presented today.”

Ultimately two different amendments were made to the operating budget number with two separate secret ballot votes, which would provide money for raises in the Police Department and cost-of-living raises for town employees.

The vote was only slightly in favor of the additions, and now it will be up to the town’s voters as a whole on election day to decide if they spend a little extra for raises and road repairs or default for a fifth year to a budget set years ago.

No other adjustments were made to the other warrant articles presented to the deliberative session attendees.

Citizens of Epsom will vote on Tuesday, March 10, between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. at Epsom Central School.

Epsom struggles to cut expenses

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:44:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Another year, another pair of default budgets for Epsom’s school and town expenses.

The town must adhere to a budget of $2,469,882, as the proposed $2,882,220 budget was defeated 601-304 on March 11. Epsom is now on its fourth default budget in a row, but that doesn’t mean taxes stay the same.

The town budget will add 28 cents to the tax rate, an increase on the bill of a home assessed at $200,000 of $56.

The school district’s budget of $7,904,002 will represent a tax increase of 88 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.

For a home assessed at $200,000, that translates into a tax bill increase of $176.

The school district must find $167,441 to cut to come in line with the default, while the to>wn must cut more than $400,000.

Town cuts
Selectman Joanne Randall said selectmen have decided not to weigh in too heavily on what the department heads decide to shave off their proposed budgets, but added the decision will be far from easy.

The town’s departments have become quite used to looking for savings in their budgets.

“It’s not the end of the world,” said the town’s road agent, Gordon Ellis. “I’m a farmer. We make do with what we’ve got.”

The Highway Department is already about $12,000 over its winter budget this year because of the heavy snow and the toll it has taken on the roads, making it difficult for Ellis to predict how his cuts will affect the department at this point.

And they still have April, November and December to cover, Ellis said.

“I’ll have to cover all my winter overages with my summer budget,” Ellis said, which would require eliminating most of the shim and overlay work planned for the roads as well as tree trimming and crack sealing.

The one thing he can’t save on is repairing the bumpiest roads in town.

“I have to do the potholes,” he said.

Fire Chief Stewart Yeaton, faced with a default budget that is $27,000 less than what he proposed, said some lines were already cut to comply with the default.

He said he took $1,000 out of the fire department’s equipment purchase line to split between the gas and oxygen funding lines.

“Everybody’s in the same boat,” said Yeaton. The police department has to find $23,217 in savings to fall in line with their default operating budget of $494,412.

Slightly helping that were Bow Dispatch fees that came in at $42,625, about $300 less than what was anticipated.

The department also cut out a school program that involved officer Cory Crochmal meeting with second-graders at Central School every other week to educate them about different types of officers, crime and police work.

“We’re going to tighten up on everything,” said Police Chief Wayne Preve, adding they have made concerted efforts to save money in energy lines, including lighting and heating. He added the department just lost an officer to the Northwood Police Department for a salary increase of about $600, and has plans to replace the officer after a new academy starts in a few weeks.

Part of the problem is that wages in Epsom for patrol officers are below average, and there is no incentive for officers to stay around. Consequently, the department ends up having to pay to put recruits through the police academy, many of whom go on to other higher paying departments eventually.

According to Preve, his highest paid patrol officer is earning $15.80 per hour. The lowest paid patrolman’s hourly wage is $14.40.

“The cards are dealt, and we have to deal with what cards are dealt to us,” Preve said. “We’re going to do our best with what we’ve got, and hopefully it’s enough to keep people happy.”

School cuts
School Board Chairman Barbara Doughty said the district will not replace two middle school teachers, one for the eighth grade and one teaching fifth grade, who are retiring at the end of the school year.

Other savings will be realized in overlapping some of the staff positions, one example of that being a combined second and third grade class.

This may increase the class size to about 22 students per teacher, Doughty said.

“It’s not ideal, but it’s what we have to do,” she said, adding the district is on a spending freeze and supply lines have been cut.

The board decided not to cut funding for sports programs, Doughty said, because doing so would not even cover the cost of one teacher.

According to School District Business Administrator Peter Warburton, Epsom spends slightly below the state average cost per pupil.

In 2006-07, according to enrollment and expenditure data, Epsom spent $9,427.61 per student.

Warburton said Epsom Central School Principal Patrick Connors has set up a good framework for realizing savings, having been through this a few times already.

“Epsom’s sort of used to it. They’ve lost more budgets than they’ve gotten,” he half joked.

Epsom to keep selectmen at three, budgets fail

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:43:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Epsom’s Board of Selectmen will remain at three seats for at least two more years after voters re-affirmed their 2007 vote to decrease the number of seats on the board.

In a 275-495 vote at this year’s election, Epsom voters decided they made the right decision last year to go to a three-member Board of Selectmen after concerns about bureaucracy and special interests on the fivemember board surfaced.

A citizen’s petition this year asked voters whether they were in favor of increasing the number of seats back to five.

Supporters of the petition argued a three-member board would only create a situation in which one member would always have the final say on an issue, and that a five-member board provides a broader variety of interpretations and perspectives.

“The town’s going to be happy that we did that,” said Selectman Joanne Randall, adding a three member board would be more productive.

Zoning Board Chairman Keith Cota joined current selectmen Bob Blodgett and Randall in the three open seats on the Board of Selectmen.

At a public hearing on the warrant article in February, many Epsom residents stood up to say the decision to go to three members was wrong.

Several said they now realize the 2007 vote was a“kneejerk” reaction, not a reasonable course of action, given the growing town population and mounting legal concerns, plus the absence of a town manager or town administrator.

Fed up with legal and procedural actions taken by the board and particularly by two of the members, Epsom residents decided to eliminate the chances for those two to be re-elected by decreasing the size of the board.

Epsom voters also decided again not to pass the proposed town operating budget, making it their fourth year in a row on a default budget. The Board of Selectmen will meet with department heads in the next few weeks, Randall said, to discuss how the default budget of $2,469,882 will be used. The default carries a tax increase of 28 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.

In the town’s only contested race for three open Budget Committee seats, Marylou J. Lafleur-Keane, Carol McGuire and David Fiorention got the positions.

Voters rejected the school district’s budget as well. The $7,904,002 default budget will increase the tax rate by 88 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.

At the school district deliberative sesson in February, Epsom Central Principal Patrick Connors said the district would likely have to resort to staff cuts if a default budget was implemented for the coming year.

The only school articles that did pass were the funds for a four-year collective bargaining agreement for school support staff and $78,069 to remove asbestos floor tiles from Epsom Central school, which together will add 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to the tax rate.

Roads, police/fire staff top 2008 warrants

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:22:00 GMT

BY SUSAN CLARK

A growing population, failing roads and maintaining experienced police and rescue workers have some voters and selectmen eager to get Epsom back on track.

About 55 voters turned out to the Feb. 3 deliberative session of Town Meeting. Some were adament about controlling spending, while others said the town can no longer wait to repair roads and bring fire and police salaries up to par with surrounding towns.

In the mix is the 2008-09 proposed operating budget of $2.8 million, which is about $525,000 higher than last year. If approved, taxes would increase $1.15 per $1,000 assessed property valuation.

If this year’s budget fails, Epsom would operate under a default budget for the fourth consecutive year. The default would bring spending to $2.46 million, meaning a tax increase of about 28 cents per $1,000 assessed property valuation.

Epsom Budget Committee Chairman Harvey Harkness said about 70 percent of the budget increase between 2007 and 2008 is for road projects as outlined in the town’s six-year plan.

“There’s no better time than the present to bite the bullet,” said Harness. “I believe it’s time to fix our roads.”

Of the 22 articles going to voters on March 11, four garnered the most discussion at the deliberative session: Article 3, which asks to pay $57,054 for six months salary, benefits and equipment for one police officer and one firefighter. Article 4, $82,815 for a one-time pay adjustment to annual salaries for fire and police. Article 9, rebuilding a portable salt shed to comply with state regulations. And, Article 12, whether the town should invest in a long-term lease for a Highway Department backhoe/ loader for $70,398, payable over four years.

In a combined effort, Police Chief Wayne Preve and Fire Chief Stewart Yeaton asked voters to approve articles 3 and 4 so each department can provide adequate coverage.

“I feel this is one of the most important articles we have to vote on this year,” said Selectmen Bob McKechnie about Article 3. “Because of the default budgets, our police and fire have had no raises and have brought us below comparisons.”

Both said call volumes are up because of growth, and each department assists other towns when needed.

“We can’t be relying on other towns. We have to take responsibility for our own,” said Yeaton.

Preve also presented a salary comparison between Epsom and 38 other departments across the state, and said a patrolman in Epsom earns $15.22 per hour, compared to Allenstown, which pays $22.34. For chief, the annual salary in Epsom is $50,764, while Allenstown pays $72,000.

Preve and Yeaton stressed safety and saving the town money by retaining qualified officers and firefighters. Preve said it takes time and money to hire and train officers, all to have them leave for higher-paying jobs in neighboring communities.

The pair fielded questions from residents, including Bruce Graham, who asked whether it was more cost effective to give a person a raise or to train them.

“I don’t want to become a training ground for other departments,” said Preve. “It costs the town money to train and pay them, then lose them.”

Yeston said his department has higher restrictions because he can’t hire firefighters/EMTs who are untrained.

“We have a lot of frequent flyers in our ambulance service and we need trained people who know the roads,” said Yeaton. “Do you want a new person working on you when you have chest pains, or do you want someone with a little experience?” Resident Dan McQuire questioned Preve’s salary analysis. “Allenstown pays more.

Might it be that Allenstown has a bigger police department than we have?” he said.

Resident Virginia Drew supported the move for additional fire and police and salary increases.

“I commend the chief, officers and the secretary,” she said.

“No matter what they’re paid, they’re out there protecting us.” A need for a town salt and sand shed also came under fire. After a lengthy discussion, Article 9 was amended adding the words “portable or permanent.” “This way, there’s more flexibility to either build a portable or permanent salt shed,” said Nancy Wheeler.

The article asks for $71,000, of which $39,000 would be raised from taxes and using $32,000 from a capital reserve fund. The fate of all 22 articles and the proposed operating budget is now up to voters. Voters will cast ballots on Tuesday, March 11, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Epsom Central School.

Default budgets force spending

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:18:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

After several years operating on a default budget, the town of Epsom will see a 22 percent increase in the coming year’s proposed town budget, the majority of that increase devoted to road improvements town officials say have been put off for too long.

“It’s an accumulated need,” said Harvey Harkness, chairman of the Epsom Budget Committee, of the mounting road deterioration in town over the past several years, exacerbated by the flooding two years in a row.

The calculated default budget for 2008-09 is $2,469,881, almost $400,000 less than the proposed. If passed, it alone would raise the tax rate 28 cents.

This time around, Harkness said, was a bad year to request departmental increases due to the sliding economy and the need to devote significant funding to roads.

“We had a very difficult time on the budget and we’re faced with this accumulating deficit,” Harkness said about the needed road repairs.

“We felt the people of the town needed to see what our accumulating needs are amounting to. As each year goes by, it’s going to get worse,” Harkness said about getting out of the default budget cycle.

He expects that residents at the deliberative session of Town Meeting on Saturday, Feb. 2, will impose cuts.

Roads
Harkness said residents have been complaining about the roads being in disrepair for years, and wanted a long-term plan from the Highway Department which came in the fall as part of a capital improvements plan.

The default budget kept needed investments in infrastructure from happening during the past years, Harkness said.

The proposed town operating budget, without warrant articles, is $2,867,220, down about $32,603 from the selectmen’s initial proposal to the Budget Committee. Adopting this budget, without warrant articles, would add $1.15 per $1,000 of assessed value to the tax rate.

A warrant article bearing recommendations from the Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee asking for $63,000 to pave Epsom’s section of New Orchard Road, which goes into Pittsfield, would cause a 14 cent per $1,000 increase on tax bills.

“The road was not reconstructed and brought up to the proper standard for a road, but there was some work done on it in order to enable it to carry traffic,” Harkness said.

A Highway Department warrant article asks to enter into an agreement to purchase the backhoe and loading truck they currently rent. The total cost would be $70,398, spread out over four years in yearly payments of $17,600, which would come out of the Highway Department’s capital reserve fund.

Harkness said the Budget Committee members didn’t go for it because they felt a better machine could be purchased down the road, and they wanted more money to go into the capital reserve fund for unforeseen road expenditures.

Policy changes The Budget Committee cut $15,000 off the selectmen’s request for legal fees in 2008- 09, bringing the final number to $25,001.

The fund is for all legal expenditures to the town, including consultations and lawsuits against it. Currently, the town has several pending.

“We felt that it would be more prudent to go with a lower figure,” Harkness said, adding there had been a cost overrun on legal fees this year.

According to the line item, $20,001 was allocated for such legal expenses this year and $54,353 was actually spent.

A petitioned warrant article asks voters to approve a policy preventing any selectman from submitting an invoice for legal counsel to the town for payment unless the entire board votes to approve such a meeting or discussion first.

The last warrant article on the ballot, also petitioned, asks for a minimum of two bids from independent contractors for any work amounting to more than $2,000. The Board of Selectmen would decide which bid to go with in a public meeting should the article pass.

Departments
The majority of department increases selectmen OK’d also got approval from the Budget Committee.

Town officials said the increases in department budgets were more or less in line with what they should be, and just seemed more because of the current default budget.

The proposed Police Department budget is up 16 percent from its default number this year to $520,295. The Fire Department’s budget is up $27,235 from the current year’s default appropriation. Emergency Management saw no change from last year.

Both the fire and police chiefs expressed concern about salaries and possibly running over on their 2007 budgets.

“I can’t get through 2007 on a 2003 budget,” Fire Chief Stuart Yeaton said at a selectman’s meeting in September, citing rising gas prices and large expenses in their emergency response line that put them behind.

Police Chief Wayne Preve said he is worried about the salaries his officers get, which are below average and may encourage them to go elsewhere.

No more RAC – Epsom road agent gets more say over budget

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:31:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Epsom’s Road Advisory Committee is no more, following issues with the road agent’s authority and the trickling down of paperwork.

At a meeting on Monday, Oct. 1, selectmen decided to do away with the committee after concern arose that it hindered the road agent’s progress in repairs and improvements to the roadways in Epsom.

They also agreed to allow Road Agent Gordon Ellis, more authority over discretionary spending from the roads budget.

According to selectmen’s accounts, a member of the former committee was asked to leave the meeting after an outburst.

Particularly in the aftermath of flooding in the past two years, this has become more of a problem for the town.

It became a major issue when Ellis was fired last October for allegedly going forward with projects without getting signatures from selectmen.

A lawsuit transpired, with Ellis claiming he was unlawfully and malignantly fired by the board.

Selectman John Klose, also the board’s liaison to the highway department, said the purchase order process had become too complicated.

According to guidelines, the road agent was only allowed to spend up to $200 without the board’s signatures and RAC approval.

Klose, who made both motions to do away with the RAC and increase the road agent’s purchase order powers from $200 to $2,000, said he’s been getting an average of up to five calls each week from Ellis asking for permission to spend money.

“Last Monday, the road agent needed five loads of gravel, and he called me five different times,” Klose said.

With winter approaching, he said, Ellis has got to be given more authority to get things done, as is the case in other towns.

“Road agents run their own budgets. They don’t have anyone telling them to do anything,” Klose said. “This man has got to be able to operate.”

The $200 limit for purchase orders was applied to every town department, Randall said, when it got too complicated for the town to sift through different limits.

The road agent, however, may not know whether they need to go over that $200 limit, and thus obtain signed permission from the board, until the day they start to work on a particular project. By then, it is too late to get that permission, and the project gets delayed.

Selectman Joni Kitson voted against the motion to dissolve the committee. According to minutes, Kitson pointed out that the road agent should be able to plan a monthly schedule,and understand that changing seasons will affect it.

Kitson said dissolving the board is a mistake, saying there were problems with board members not attending meetings.

“The road agent committee is a very valuable asset to the town, as long as the people on the committee attend the meetings,” Kitson said.

Rita Graham, a member of the former RAC, disagreed with the decision to dissolve the committee and expressed discontent with the board, according to minutes from the meeting.

Selectman Joanne Randall, acting as chairman at the meeting, said Graham blew up at the board and was asked to leave the meeting.

Randall said she attempted to give Graham the floor, but when Graham began pointing the finger and “getting into it one-on-one” with Klose, she pulled the plug on Graham.

“She got a little out of hand and I had to ask her to leave. Whatever credibility the RAC had went right out the door with her,” Randall said.

Klose said the RAC was not meeting as frequently as it should have, and was no longer serving its original purpose. She added there should be a specialized committee for the road agent to fall back on, but in a more collaborative function.

“The committee should work for the road agent,” she said, not the other way around.