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Date: 1/2/2020
BLANDFORD – Cara Letendre, chairman of the Board of Selectman welcomed several dozen people to the first Blandford State of the Town address on Dec. 18 at Town Hall.
“I’m excited to be able to be here and present some of the good news we have,” Letendre said, adding that she wanted to show “how far we’ve come from 2011.”
Letendre said that Blandford was named after a ship from England carrying settlers. “In 2011, Blandford was a sinking ship, with negative free cash three years in a row, and zero dollars in reserve funds. We were not managing our money, and we were in big trouble,” she said.
The Department of Review wrote a report in 2011 that was critical of the town, saying that it was missing sound management practices, and a majority of selectmen and residents were ignoring the programs. A $3.35 million enterprise, the DOR said the town was owed almost $1 million in taxes, the fourth lowest collection rate in the state, and the exact amount owed was unknown.
Blandford was also the only town to have negative free cash for three years, Letendre said, and was also late on its Schedule A reports, so it was not receiving state funds due.
The DOR report went on to make recommendations, including hiring a town administrator, changing the treasurer and collector from elected to appointed positions, and combining them into one. They also recommended that the selectmen take seriously the report underway by forensic auditor Josephine Sarnelli, who had been hired to review the town’s finances.
Over the next several years, Sarnelli uncovered misappropriations of tax payments by former tax collector LeeAnn Thompson, who served the town from 2002 to 2011, departing in May of 2011. She was indicted in 2016, accused of stealing more than $150,000 from the town. Thompson pleaded guilty to embezzlement by a public officer, larceny over $250 and use of an official position to secure an unwarranted privilege in 2018.
Letendre, who was elected in 2017, said at the time of the initial DOR report in 2011 the town was told it must demonstrate the political will to change the culture in Town Hall, where there was no accountability.
She then ran down some of the changes that have been made since 2011.
In 2014, they changed the treasurer and collector to appointed positions. In 2015, the town outsourced accounting to Eric Kinsherf, CPA through the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission’s Regional Accounting Program. In 2016, the hired a part-time town administrator, Angeline Ellison and joined the Hilltown Collaborative. In 2017, the town contracted with Sara Hunter as treasurer and tax collector, positions which were then combined; and in 2018, hired Joshua Garcia as Town Administrator after Ellison’s departure.
“Currently, we are within one month of having monthly reconciliation,” Letendre said. She said Garcia has implemented monthly joint budget meetings with the financial team, which has been consolidated into one office, and has created a timeline of responsibilities and expectations for each town department, who the team will meet with beginning in January.
“I’ve heard people say lately that Blandford is one of the most progressive towns,” Letendre said. She said last year, they were able to spend over $350,000 on capital equipment upgrades for the highway department using free cash, and $1.1 million on paving nine roads through a combination of Chapter 90 funds, free cash and appropriations. The town also entered into a shared police force with Chester.
Letendre said the tax collector continues to resolve variances caused by the past tax collector with the assistance of the Regional Resource Group, contracted by the Board of Assessors for town assessments, which is doing property deed research.
Letendre also pointed to the formation of the Hilltown Collaborative in 2014, which has served as the vehicle for the Community Compact Grants, totaling $400,000 to date for the town. One of the grants allowed them to initially hire a shared economic development director; a position now funded by four towns and the Gateway Regional School District.
Blandford also participates in facilitated discussions with the district and the towns, led by members of the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools. Letendre said over the past two years, the climate in the discussions has changed “from frustration to understanding,” resulting in a draft regional agreement, free preschool in Littleville and Chester, and an alternative assessment option for the towns which they used last year, but was not approved this year. She said the alternative assessment option will be available next year.
“It’s been such an honor to be a part of the select board at this time, and part of this team,” Letendre said. She then introduced Zack Blake, Chief of the Technical Assistance Bureau at the DOR, who was the author of the critical 2011 report.
“I’m proud to see the progress here, and glad to be a part of it,” Blake said. The DOR has just finished working on a financial forecast, financial management reviews and best practices for the town through another Community Compact program.
DOR senior project manager Marcia Bohinc then presented the current picture of Blandford finances. She said the town has been building up its free cash, with almost $1 million in 2017, more than $1 million in 2018 and 2019; and $800,000 in 2020, explaining that some of those funds were put into the Stabilization Fund.
“We like to see 20 percent reserve. Between free cash and stabilization, the town has almost a 40 percent reserve,” Bohinc said. She said she was also happy to see using free cash for one-time capital expenditures.
Bohinc said the tax rate is $17.76, and that Blandford is not approaching its levy ceiling. “More important is the average single family tax bills,” she said, adding that the budget has been growing faster than average single family tax bills, which is good news.
“The purpose for tonight is to share with you the progress achieved in the town to-date, and to keep the public aware of the overall direction the town is going,” said Garcia. “The information presented is extremely positive. It’s proof that the State of the Town is strong and is a reflection of the town’s ongoing commitment to protect its assets and build your community.”
Garcia said he had only been in the town as the town administrator for a little over a year, and couldn’t take all the credit. “Incremental progress began as early as 2013 as you can see in the DOR report. Therefore, a great deal of gratitude is owed to the people who stepped in during that time to help resolve the financial issues of the town as well as to all those who are currently in these financial capacities today,” he said, thanking the town for placing their trust in him and welcoming him to help lead the efforts as town administrator. “It’s an honor for me to be part of this progress during this time in the town’s history,” Garcia said.
A panel consisting of Hunter, Janet Lombardo chairman of the Finance Committee, Stephen Jemiolo of the Board of Assessors, Kinsherf of Blake and Bohinc then answered questions led by town moderator David Hopson, Gateway Regional superintendent.