Saugus selectman unhappy with town budget

SAUGUS – Selectmen voted 4-1 to approve the budget Tuesday with Stephen Horlick once again playing the odd man out.Horlick said he voted against the budget for a number of reasons, but mainly because he wanted to see the Senior Center and the Youth and Recreation Department fully funded.”Especially the Youth Commission,” he said. “Their budget is so small and everyone is concerned about the library and the schools but it’s the Youth Commission that ties all the programs together.”Horlick called the department the best deal in town.”What (Director) Greg (Nickolas) does with such a small budget we get back 100 fold with what we spend per child,” he said.He said he felt the same about the Senior Center.Horlick said he also didn’t agree with the board’s decision earlier this year to shift Town Manager Andrew Bisignani’s educational incentive into his salary, which had previously been a separate line item. While it did not change Bisignani’s bottom line salary, Horlick still opposed the move.He also found fault with the fact that the new Health Agent Frank Giacalone would be making $4,000 more than the former health agent.Horlick said it seems that every time an employee leaves and is replaced the replacement makes more money.Although increased salaries could be tied to a recent salary survey showing that Saugus town employees have some of the lowest salaries on the North Shore, Horlick said he believes paying replacements more sends the message there is a glass ceiling for current employees.”It’s like they can only get to a certain level and they won’t make any more, but then we pay their replacement more,” he said.He argued that if the position is worth more for the replacement, then the current holder should be making the same amount.”Why didn’t Sharon get a $4,000 raise?” he asked referring to former Health Agent Sharon McCabe who resigned her position in January.Horlick said he also wanted to see the firefighter hired who was supposed to be hired as a result of last year’s budget. He maintained that if at least one fulltime firefighter were put on the payroll it would cut the overtime budget.Lastly, Horlick said he would like to see cruisers for the Police Department put back into the budget. When asked where the funding for the cars would come from Horlick said Kasabuski Arena.”We could have it in there that it would only go if Kasabuski is leased,” he said. “We could put that it’s subject to funding.”Bisignani, however, said the entire budget is subject to funding and he called Horlick’s concerns shortsighted and unrealistic.Bisignani also said the budget was still a working document that would likely go through a number of incarnations before Town Meeting voted on it in the spring.