Posted by Ed on March 22, 2007, 8:32 pm http://www.townonline.com/billerica/homepage/x305084620 Nearly $400,000 in increased state aid may allow the restoration However, more work remains to be done, as the board looks at Longo did not express the same support for requests to create Longo said Gov. Deval Patrick’s state budget figures call for a The board voted 4 to 1 to accept the recommended budget figure, with “We wanted the level-service budget,” Lombardo said, adding that the “Without these positions, it’s less than a level-service budget,” Among other fiscal 2008 budget revision recommendations, was the Selectman Michael Rosa questioned whether the town would be able to “There is money in the salary to fund all those positions,” Longo The proposed fiscal 2008 budget figure is a 1.8 percent increase Public safety looks to future In other business, Police Chief Daniel Rosa and Fire Chief Anthony The presentation was part of a strategy for a long-term capital plan “Over the next two years we are going to need to spend over $2 As result of a state mandate, Chief Rosa said that the police Chief Rosa said the radio console in the police dispatch center was “I don’t want the state to install the new PSAP system into the old Rosa also said there is a need for floor and ceiling repairs on the “This winter the tiles started popping out,” Rosa said about the I have questions, I am no expert but, the first paragraph states a
24.34.144.49
Please Read and Comment
Changes are in store
By Brendan Lewis
Thursday, March 22, 2007 - Updated: 11:51 AM EDT
of previously-cut funds for civic events and newly-created public
works positions, as selectmen voted Monday to back a revised budget
figure of $114 million for fiscal 2008.
individual expense proposals such as Town Manager Rocco Longo’s
recommendations to restore the civic event funds as well as Public
Works Director Abdul Alkhatib’s request to create three new
positions for the water and sewer division.
cemetery division posts, which remain among requests from various
town departments that did not garner Longo’s recommendation.
total of $797,000 more aid than expected, with the school and town
splitting the increase about equally.
Selectman Marc Lombardo casting the dissenting vote. Lombardo’s
dissenting vote came after he recommended not funding the positions
Longo recommended, saying he thought the $205,000 in position funds
could be used to help cover so-called unfunded liabilities such as
pension costs. The board rejected Lombardo’s motion to amend the
budget accordingly.
town also needs money for capital items.
Longo said about the three public works positions, a full-time and
part-time clerk, and a junior civil engineer he recommended
restoring for the fiscal 2008 budget.
restoration of $12,000 in funding for civic events which had been
cut in the previous fiscal 2008 budget, including Family First
Night, the Middlesex Canal Commission, the Beatification Committee,
Memorial Day, and the Billerica VFW.
fund the salaries of the collective bargaining units still in
negotiation with the town.
said in response to the union positions from the bargaining units.
over the current fiscal 2007 budget of 111 million, and will face a
vote at spring Town Meeting.
Capaldo made their cases for future funding of capital equipment,
including new police dispatch equipment and three new fire
department vehicles.
for the public safety departments.
million in fire equipment,” Capaldo said, adding the big tickets
items being two fire engines and a ladder truck.
dispatch center will need to install an Enhanced 911 system that
gives more information to dispatchers when the receive calls, known
as a PSAP system, or Public Safety Answering Point.
the original unit installed when the department moved into the
police station building. He said it should be replaced before the
state installs the enhanced 911 system in the fall and connects it
to the old console.
radio console,” Rosa said about Enhanced 911 system that will run
the town roughly $246,000.
first floor of the police station.
floor repairs.
$400,000 increase in state aid. I understand the $797,000 figure
being split with the school deptarment. The probelm I am having is
when I read the Boston Newspapers they keep talking about Gov.
Patrick's budget running into probelms in the future, due to
overspending. Just a couple of selectmen meetings ago I watch the
Head of the DPW explain how due to energy cost's his budget ran over
$450,000 Approx. and I respect him for his honesty. The Police and
Fire Dept. requests sound reasonable, but the extra staff may be
necessary, but what happens if next year the state finds itself in a
bind and is forced to reduce aid to the towns? Now we have Union
Employees on the town payroll with job security and I say good for
them, but who will pay them in the future? The other piece that
puzzles me is, with all contract issues still not resolved and the
cost of energy, remember the energy cost overun could we possibly
pay down the debt before taking on more?????
Message Thread:
« Back to thread