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Date: 11/20/2023
AMHERST — Ahead of the regularly scheduled Town Council meeting, Town Manager Paul Bockelman introduced the annual gathering of the major elected officials for the town for the start of the budget season. A presentation was made before the council as well as Jones Library and School Committee members.
Acknowledging the gap left by the recent departure of Finance Director Sean Mangano, Bockelman recognized the additional duties taken on by Comptroller Holly Drake and Treasurer/Collector Jennifer LaFountain in that role as well as School District Finance Director Douglas Slaughter who is also serving as interim superintendent.
“Everybody in this room is carrying additional weight,” Bockelman said.
Bockelman reviewed current expenditures, tax revenues and state aid and reserves and fund balances among other financial concerns for the town. He also made note of the town’s AA+ bond rating and healthy reserves, maintaining the town in a strong financial position.
“One of the things we really pride ourselves on is that we’re all on the same team,” Bockelman said. “The library, the schools, the town, we communicate well, we share the resources that we bring in and that’s one of the strengths that we bring when we talk to our ratings agency is that there aren’t these bitter battles that you see in many communities over funding and things like that.”
Bockelman said they remain on track for the projected 3% increase in budgets for the year while Amherst continues to do well with housing, the major industry for the town.
The planned integration of four firefighter positions initially planned utilizing ARPA funds will also include support from the town’s strategic partnership with the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Bockelman said the town is also pursuing strategic partnerships with Hampshire and Amherst Colleges.
Revenue projections for fiscal year 2025 include overall assumptions for a 2.5% property tax increase which Bockelman stressed does not involve all members of the community. New growth assumptions are projected at $650,000 for standards such as home additions, swimming pools and building construction that will be added to the town tax base. The 3% increase projections for operating budgets remain as they are for FY24.
Providing side-by-side paneling of concerns versus strategies, Bockelman matched issues such as economic uncertainty and maintaining fiscal discipline against prudent use of reserves and sustainable development.
“We know right away, we hear it every day that the needs of our departments outweigh the resources that we have,” he said. “It doesn’t move, it’s the way it is.”
Following a budget public forum, the Finance Committee will begin developing budget guidelines with a council vote on those guidelines scheduled for Dec. 18.