Crabtree reveals Saugus budget

SAUGUS – Saugus Town Manager Scott Crabtree released his recommended budget to the Board of Selectmen Monday after months of delay due to an ongoing forensic audit.Among some major reductions in the $77.7 million budget are the school department being cut to $25.5 million, the Essex Street Fire Station closing and reductions in the library (from $506,000 to $270,000) and the Senior Center (from $195,000 to $108,000).Crabtree said there will be no layoffs in the police and fire departments, which are budgeted to receive $400,000 combined from arbitration.”Within the budget, we’ve done everything we can to stretch what we can stretch,” said Crabtree. “We’re going to be looking at this budget monthly. We’re going to be forecasting ? meeting and discussing on an ongoing basis, and we may have to have a special Town Meeting to make additional cuts.”Crabtree said the library will likely lose its certification and have to close while the Youth and Recreation Department will be eliminated entirely.”There’s not guarantee they’ll be able to keep their certification,” said Crabtree.An increase of $9,500 for Treasurer/Collector Wendy Hatch was a major point of contention at the meeting, with Selectman Steve Castinetti questioning why she was getting an increase when other people were getting laid off.”This increase is the exact same increase that was in the budget that we rescinded,” said Castinetti. “We’ve got people that we laid off, families that have lost incomes, now we want to raise the level of pay for the same services.”However, Crabtree explained the increase is a result of him consolidating several extra duties and responsibilities into a new position and said Hatch has been “instrumental” in putting the budget together.”There’s nobody else in this building, with the exception of a few other people, that did as much as she did ?” said Crabtree. “It’s absolutely a necessity. I take exception that you look at this as a raise. This is a new position. This is not a raise to give someone a raise. This is a raise for duties that go above and beyond. She’s involved with meetings with every department head. That never went on here before. I don’t mind having a heated discussion, but it’s so important for this town to move forward and have transparency that didn’t exist.”Selectmen Chairman Michael Serino said the new position is a step forward after “nine years of financial mess” while selectman Stephen Horlick said Hatch will act as “another set of checks and balances over Crabtree’s head.”Another area that saw an increase was $7,000 for a new Town Accountant, a position which Crabtree said he may look to fill in the fall.Crabtree said a $15,000 increase for Police Chief Domenic Dimella was the result of reclassifying it from the police education incentive account into his salary line item.”He receives it weekly according to his contract so we felt his salary should be reflected by what he’s paid,” said Crabtree.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].