Posted by Ed on March 26, 2007, 4:10 pm link Keep budget lean A little more than a month ago, Billerica officials made a necessary and appropriate decision to slash 5.5 percent from the general budget to accommodate rising costs. They tried to avoid personnel reductions, but some had to be cut. It was a difficult decision, but sacrifices must be made. Last week, however, Longo proposed using more than half of the anticipated $400,000 increase in state aid to fill positions, including a part-time clerk in his office, a senior clerk in the collector/treasurer's office, a junior civil engineer, two water-systems maintenance craftsmen and a sewer-system maintenance craftsman. We might understand if Longo suggested filling positions that supply direct services to residents, but there is no need to fund clerical positions that he has already determined the town can live without. It was long predicted that fiscal 2008 would be a difficult budgetary year and reductions in state aid only exacerbated the problem. Nearly every Massachusetts community is struggling with budget woes, including Billerica, Tewksbury, Lowell, Chelmsford and Dracut. Most have made deep budget cuts and increased taxes to make municipal ends meet. Selectman Marc Lombardo was right to speak against the hirings, pointing out that the town would be better served if the money were used to fund capital budget requests that have been neglected in recent years. Unfortunately, Lombardo's motion to use the money for capital purchases failed by a 4-1 vote. The board voted, again 4-1, to approve the new bottom-line budget Longo brought forward, but have yet to work out the details of how the additional funds will be expended. We urge selectmen to put the money toward one-time costs or to put it in the town's stabilization fund.
24.34.144.49
Now we need to elect another person with the same concerns to sit on the Board of Selectmen with Mr. Lombardo!
http://www.lowellsun.com/editorials/ci_5523828
The Lowell Sun
Article Last Updated: 03/26/2007 11:56:29 AM EDT
Billerica selectmen will be making a mistake if they support Town Manager Rocco Longo's proposal to use half of the town's anticipated state aid increase to restore positions to local government.
So, it makes little sense for Longo to fill positions that may have to be cut next year if a similar boost in local aid fails to come through. Doesn't it make more sense to bite the bullet this year and, hopefully, put the town in a better financial position for next year and the year after? 
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