Town Meeting voters to settle salary increase debate

NAHANT – The discussion on the warrant for Saturday’s Town Meeting will likely come down to one thing: money and the lack thereof.”The recommendation of the Finance Committee is different from mine and the Board of Selectmen on salaries,” said Town Administrator Andrew Bisignani. “I think we’ll see some discussion on that.”Bisignani and the selectmen recommended giving town employees, both union and non-union, a 2 percent increase but the Advisory and Finance Committee cut it down to a 1.5 percent increase.In its letter to residents, the Advisory Committee wrote that in the past, salary increases have outpaced revenue growth; employees have typically received 3 percent increases while the town has had only 2.5 percent revenue growth.”Realizing that this growth is unsustainable, the Advisory and Finance Committee is recommending a 1.5 percent salary increase across the board,” states the letter.The Advisory Committee wrote that it has also asked the selectmen to request that the Department of Revenue conduct a study of the town’s financial procedures and job functions “to make sure the town is adequately structured and processes and procedures are set up in accordances with best practices.”That said, the committee has presented a balanced budget that increases the town’s reserve fund by nearly $43,000.Bisignani, however, said the budget is largely balanced with free cash and overlay surplus, neither of which are fixed revenue streams and could disappear at any time. Free cash is money certified by the state and largely consists of money left over from the prior year’s budget. Overlay is an account established to fund anticipated property tax abatement, exemptions and uncollected taxes. Money left over in the account is treated much like free cash.Other items on the 30-article warrant include housekeeping items, such as electing the moderator, requests for transfers and permission to borrow from time to time in anticipation of funds yet to materialize. Article 4 asks to budget $20,000 for snow and ice removal – it is typically an underfunded account and the only account in which the state allows communities to underfund.Bisignani said the town overspent snow and ice by $52,000, but he believes the town lucked out with a $72,000 bill considering the harsh winter.”I think we got off pretty good this winter damage-wise,” he said. “It could have been much worse.”Articles 8 through 14 pertain to water and sewer seeking funds from retained earnings for a new pump and other equipment, a water main for Nectar Place and money for the stabilization fund. Article 10 also seeks $125,000 from retained earnings to pay for a long-term engineering testing capital plan to be prepared by a professional engineer, a financial plan and a set of financial policies for the long-term financial planning of the Water and Sewer Enterprise Fund.Articles 15, 16 and 17 pertain to the Rubbish Enterprise account and reestablishing the cemetery and recreation revolving accounts. Article 19 seeks to accept Chapter 90 or state highway funding, which, when dovetailed with Article 21, will give the town nearly $250,000 for roadwork.Bisignani said the town is expected to receive $93,000 in Chapter 90 money. Article 21 asks for $100,000, plus the town has some Chapter 90 money left from last year, Bisignani said.”We have a plan,” he added. “We know what streets we’re going to do, but it’s still subject to change.”Articles 19 and 20 seek to tweak zoning ordinances, 22 is a request to appropriate $57,000 to install a fiber optics network from Lynn Fire Dispatch to Nahant’s police and fire stations.Article 23 deals with paying the principal on the loan for the Military Housing, Article 24 the stabilization fund and Article 25 asks for $80,000 to improve the town compost.Under article 26, the Community Preservation Committee seeks approval, among other things, to spend $75,745 of its funds to restore Town Hall.Articles 27 and 28 ask residents to allow the Board of Truste