Town's fiscal year 2010 budget finally approved

Date: 8/4/2009

By Katelyn Gendron

Reminder Assistant Editor



AGAWAM - The town finally has a balanced $77.6 million fiscal year 2010 (FY10) budget - approved 27 days into the new fiscal year - but capital improvement projects have yet to receive funding.

The budget was passed by the City Council on July 27 by a majority vote of nine to one with one member absent City Council Vice President Cecilia Calabrese cast a no vote and Councilor Donald Rheault was absent. The resolution appropriating $489,815 from the stabilization account to fund capital improvements was tabled.

"I haven't stopped smiling since the last vote was taken [approving the FY10 budget]," Mayor Susan Dawson told Reminder Publications.

"I didn't know whether or not slow and steady would win the race but it did," she continued, noting her slow release of the budget to the council 19 days before the end of FY09 because of uncertain state aid figures.

Fluctuations in state aid figures prompted Dawson to submit a Supplemental Budget to the City Council totaling $129,666 in state aid, not included in her proposed FY10 budget. The additional funding would reinstate financing for line items such as curbside waste pickup, the library and one firefighter position.

Dawson explained that she's also "exploring other options" to fund capital improvements but has yet to secure a source other than the stabilization account.

"I'm really not in favor of taking money from the stabilization fund but if these [capital improvement projects] are absolutely needed..." City Councilor Paul Cavallo said, adding that he doesn't agree with funding all the capital improvement projects listed in the resolution such as a new gym floor of Benjamin J. Phelps Elementary School.

Calabrese said she is not interested in appropriating stabilization funds for the capital improvements.

"Stabilization funds should be used in emergency," she said. "You pare back operating expenses, not tap into your savings; either that or have the courage . to come forward to ask voters to vote [for a Proposition 2 1/2 override] . I think that the budget as it was presented was designed to go around Proposition 2 1/2."

Dawson said she will continue to explore other resources and work with the council toward a solution.

The City Council will continue its discussion of the resolution concerning stabilization funds and the supplemental budget at the next meeting on Aug. 17.