Reading's Override Discussion Is Off and Running

It was day 1 of the override discussion and whether you were among the 26 in attendance at the library or watching from home, there were challenges. The folks who run Reading are determined to make the road to a potential April override vote as transparent as possible. If that meant a lesson in FTEs, operations budgets, and trying to figure out what 11.36 employees really means, then so be it. No one ever promised this would be easy.

The Reading Board of Selectmen met at the library Tuesday night along with the Finance Committee and members of the town administration for the start of two nights of budget review. Tuesday was Public Service, Administrative Services, and Finance. They'll be back Wednesday night, same time and place, with the Public Library and Public Safety getting their turn to explain their budget needs.

"This is the starting point to the annual budget process in public," said Town Manager Bob LeLacheur. "This is the first public discussion of the budgets. Whether it leads to an override or not we'd still be doing it the same way. Would we be doing this in December instead of January? Personally I like this and I think they're going to like this too. But in the past we've done it in January."

The meeting began with assistant Town Manager Jean Delios' presentation on the Public Service budget. The budget included a wish list of additions that pushed her request up 16 percent. Saying expenses were out of control, and sensing how that might play, she said her request, "was not out of arrogance or disrespect. It's not meant to offend anyone."

What seemed more offensive was her earlier observation that a fall information session on ticks produced a "packed house" in the same room that had plenty of seats available Tuesday night. Maybe everyone was watching on RCTV.

But like she did at the Nov. 28 Selectmen's meeting with Chapter 40B and the Eaton Lakeview development, Delios did an excellent job explaining the various aspects of the Public Service budget. One chart included 47 color-coded boxes. Others were simpler. To those who say the building permit process in Reading is slow and cumbersome, Delios explained that 73 percent of building permits are issued immediately or the next day. Yes, it used to be slow, but as LeLacheur said, "the legend still lives on from those days."

The Planning Division, Conservation Division, Health Division, Historical Division, Elder/Human Services Division, Recreation Division, and Veteran Services Division were all discussed and all have needs beyond their budget. For example, all agreed the Senior Center is too small to handle Reading's growing elderly population. The building doesn't have a first-floor bathroom and with the limited capacity an event like the Veterans Day breakfast that has held at the Senior Center in the past had to be moved to the Masonic Lodge last month.

FTEs (Full Time Equivalent) were tossed about to explain staffing needs but Selectman John Halsey kept it simple. "I think people are very interested in finding out what they're getting for what they're spending."

After the Public Service discussion, Administrative Services were next, followed by the Finance Department. In both cases it was hard not to be sympathetic with their needs. Town accountant Sharon Angstrom asked for an assistant town accountant in her budget, which included those 11.36 employees, but said, "I am not under the illusion I will get it."

In all it was three hours of an under-the-hood look at how the town operates. Was it too much transparency?

"Infinite transparency is not necessarily good if people don't understand it," said LeLacheur. "Then they say you're not being transparent and what they really mean is that you're being so transparent I just don't understand. I'm fine with that. I respect that and I understand that."

But transparency is what residents will get.

LeLacheur's job is to present a balanced town budget to the Finance Committee early in 2018. It won't be pretty. He's expected to present a second budget with items he feels should be included, which could come from the library discussions. The difference between the two will be your override amount, with the final say belonging to the Board of Selectmen.

Prepare the lawn signs, the race is officially on.