SAUGUS — The Finance Committee on Wednesday reviewed the seven-article warrant for a special Town Meeting set for Monday, and voted to recommend four of the articles for voters.
The committee, according to Chair Kenneth DePatto, only reviews articles that have specific dollar figures tied to them. So for the purposes of next week’s meeting meant Article 2, which would create a supplemental student support reserve fund, and Articles 4 through 6, which concern pension funds. Article 2 was submitted by Town Manager Scott Crabtree, while Articles 4 through 6 were submitted by the town’s Retirement Board.
DePatto and the committee recommended Crabtree’s article, which would create a fund with roughly $3 million in Chapter 70 funding in it for implementation of programs to benefit students set back by two years of remote learning, with the stipulation that it not be amended by Town Meeting members to fund operational expenses that could incur annual costs.
“This is non recurring revenue, and it shouldn’t be used for operational budget purposes that are recurring. Things that are going to move on to next year, and you are just subsidizing that, that’s the reason why the language is so important and it should be specific, which it is, and that’s how I support it,” he said. “I would like to see our motion to be very specific, that we are recommending the creation of this but as written without any changes to the language in this particular article, because that would change how we would have voted.”
Crabtree emphasized that the language in the article would require the School Committee and the superintendent to come before the FinCom with a proposal for how to use the funds before they are actually released.
“It’s important to understand that in order for the Saugus Public Schools or the town to access the funds. The superintendent and the school committee must submit a detailed plan to the Saugus finance committee, who will determine that such plans sought to supplement current educational programs … meaning that they’re not using this to pay for costs that they already have and that they’ve overrun on their budget,” Crabtree told FinCom. “In other words, that money has to be used as a new program.”
The committee then voted unanimously to recommend the article, and DePatto said he would explain the particular caveat of the recommendation at the Town Meeting on Monday.
Crabtree said his belief was that given the writing of the article, Town Meeting voters likely would not be able to broaden its intent via an amendment.
“The scope is what it is,” he said.
School Committee member John Hatch added that the committee was “excited” about the intention of the article.
“The school committee is very concerned with making sure that there’s no budget creep or putting this into the operating budget. We understand what this article is for. We’re excited for it, we’re happy with the collaboration, and we couldn’t be more pleased,” Hatch said.
Saugus Fire Lt. Billy Cross, an elected member of the retirement board, which serves town employees, explained the three articles the board had submitted for the warrant to the committee.
Article 4, Cross said, would increase the minimum benefit for survivors of board members from $250 to $500.
“If a member dies before they fully retire, the minimum benefit they can get going forward is $250,” he said. “I really hope that you support this, this should help some people that are really hurting.”
DePatto offered his support for the article, noting that it would cause minimal financial strain, and the board voted unanimously to recommend it.
The next article up for discussion, Article 5, would double the benefit made available to survivors of members wounded in the line of duty, raising it from $6,000 to $12,000. The committee also recommended Article 5 by a unanimous vote.
The final article on the warrant reviewed by the committee, Article 6, contains a typographical error that indicates that the article would increase the base on which the cost-of-living increase is calculated for retirees of the Arlington Retirement System. DePatto said the committee had received the go-ahead from town counsel to vote on the article, which they unanimously recommended.
The article would raise the maximum base on which the cost of living increase is calculated from $14,000 to $18,000.
Charlie McKenna can be reached at [email protected].
