Money matters at Saugus Town Meeting

SAUGUS – The town Finance Committee has made its annual recommendations for the Fiscal 2016 budget, and they?re to be among the main topics at the third session of Town Meeting tonight.Likely to be debated when the meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall auditorium is the Ambulance Study Committee?s proposal to establish a town-run service. The Finance Committee will recommend against it, suggesting instead that the four items for the purchase of an ambulance that comprise Articles 22 through 25 be postponed indefinitely. The committee report was the result of public hearings and deliberations.Under Article 22, the Ambulance Study Committee seeks a basic life-support ambulance, operated and managed by the Saugus Fire Department, in conjunction with an existing privately contracted ambulance service. Article 23 specifies the amount of money to fund the proposed ambulance; 24 establishes a new enterprise account for financial activities concerning the ambulance; and 25 deals with buying the prospective ambulance and required equipment, which would cost less than $300,000.In other matters, Town Manager Scott Crabtree wants an additional $300,000 from the town budget added to the schools – which would make the total school budget proposal $700,000 more than last year?s school budget.While School Committee member Arthur Grabowski said he appreciates the additional funds, he also said fixed costs still exceed the amount recommended.?It?s a step in the right direction, but we will still have to make some hard decisions as to where we need to allocate the money,” Grabowski said. “The top priorities are: teacher retention and classroom size reduction.”Town Moderator Steve Doherty said the remaining 13 articles on the warrant are also likely to be discussed, but he doesn?t expect them to cause extended debate.?The town manager, who was reinstated in the middle of the budget process, did a good job of balancing the needs of the school department and the town so, while there?s always debate expected on the budget, there?s nothing too controversial there,” Doherty said.The following articles appear every year at Annual Town Meeting, Crabtree said.One article involves the Fiscal Year 2016 operating budget for the town and schools. Another article regarding Article 6 of the 2014 operating budget is indefinitely postponed. Two are year-end transferring articles for Fiscal Year 2015, one of which is for the current operating budget and the other for the Sewer Enterprise Fund. Another two are for funding the operating account for the water and sewer enterprise fund. One article could raise rates in the water enterprise fund by 3 percent. One would borrow funds for capital improvements, while the last article will pay unpaid bills from the previous year.Crabtree said he is pleased with the progress.?We were able to eliminate the inherited structural deficit in the budget,” Crabtree said. “It was great to work collaboratively with the Board of Selectmen in correcting and submitting a balanced budget to Town Meeting.”Crabtree and Doherty said all the articles should be brought forth tonight, but if time doesn?t allow, they will be carried over to next Monday.?The order of business can be altered by a vote of the body, so it?s hard to say what will come first or what, if anything, may be carried over to the following week,” Doherty said.