Impact of budget cuts discussed at Select Board meeting

Date: 3/1/2010

March 1, 2010

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



LONGMEADOW -- As budget discussions continue in Longmeadow, it's been stressed that the economic recession is not the only cause of the town's financial troubles. Cuts are being made for fiscal year 2011 (FY11) until solutions can be found.

The Select Board continued their budget talks on their Feb. 22 meeting with some concrete numbers. The school department has already noted it may need to cut up to 35.35 full-time equivalent positions; on the town side, each department is looking at a loss of up to four full-time equivalent positions.

Select Board Clerk Mark Gold stated that the town needs to look at "attainable cuts versus sustainable cuts."

Several positions are being eliminated through attrition. Select Board member Rob Aseltine noted that attrition is not sustainable.

Town Manager Robin Crosbie pointed out some of the cuts currently in the draft budget: reduced legal expenses; splitting a full-time, benefited position in the treasurer/collector's office into two part-time positions; reduced overtime training in the fire department; reduction in fuel costs; reductions in seasonal maintenance; and cutting 2.15 position in the Department of Public Works, 3.52 at Storrs Library and 1.0 at the Adult Center.

"The department heads worked hard on this [budget]," Crosbie said. "I want to commend them for reaching their targets while trying to maintain services."

One unexpected positive point in the budget is an additional $450,000 that was not factored in previously. Finance Director Paul Pasterczyk said that he had based the school department's discretionary FY10 budget as a base for the FY11 budget but realized $450,000 had been set aside for step increases.

Still, the proposed FY11 budget is looking at a cut of more than $2 million from the previous fiscal year's numbers.

"We can't keep wringing the towel for the last drop," Gold said. "What will we do next year?"

"We have to put ourselves on a different path or expect large overrides and reductions in services [in the future]," Aseltine added.

Select Board Chair Robert Barkett agreed, stating, "We may need to restructure the town."

Barkett said input from residents at the town budget forum scheduled for March 9 at 7 p.m. in the Longmeadow High School cafeteria "will be enlightening."

The Select Board must adopt the FY11 budget by March 22. The Finance Committee must approve it by March 31.