Residents Warn Approved Budget Could Have Dire Consequences

Following more than 90 minutes of residents’ explanations of how budget cuts would hurt the town, the Board of Selectmen voted Tuesday to approve the town manager’s .

“The bottom line is, there are no easy answers,” said Selectman Ben Tafoya.

Tafoya told the crowd of more than 40 gathered at the Senior Center that the town had to make “painful decisions” this year, and would likely have more tough choices “next year and the year after that, at least.”

Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner’s proposed budget cuts 0.6 percent of the town’s expenditures next year, with the falling on the town’s community services department. That will reduce funding for a number of positions, including reducing Reading’s elder services administrator and its public health administrator roles to part-time positions.

Kara Fratto, who Democratic State Rep. Jim Dywer last year and led the petition to overturn the town’s meals tax, joined a chorus of seniors who said that the sharp reduction in hours for Reading’s elder services director could have dire consequences for the town.

Reading’ has an aging population, Fratto said, and some seniors may leave town if Reading reduces services.

Other residents urged the selectmen to restore support for conservation and public health, areas that residents said could cost the town money in the long term if they neglected in the short term.

More cuts?

But some, including Selectman Camille Anthony, said the budget didn’t go far enough.

The proposed fiscal year 2012 budget includes $1.5 million in support from the town’s reserve fund. Anthony said she didn’t think the town should use that much of its savings. She also said that it made her “blood boil” that Reading pays 71 percent of its employees health insurance costs. Town Finance Director Bob LeLacheur said he projected that health insurance would cost the town an additional $700,000-800,000 next year.

“The townspeople in every community through the country cannot keep picking up that percentage,” Anthony said.

Town Meeting Member took aim at the inclusion of raises for some employees in the budget.

“For such a painful budget, I’ve noticed an awful lot of pay increases in it,” Weld said. “I’d like to know why we’re not taking a harder line with our town employees given the financial crisis that we’re in.”

Hechenbleikner noted that some of the pay increases were contractual. Others, he said, were “step” increases that he wanted to include after not providing any last year. LeLacheur noted that pay increases for non-school employees would cost the town $90,000 in the fiscal 2012 budget.

Weld also asked the town to pursue other revenue streams, particularly the possibility of erecting a billboard on town land near Rt. 93 or 95.

Selectman Steve Goldy echoed that call, also noting a fee increases proposed by another resident earlier in the night.

“If we start to identify some these small items and put them in place, then they will solve some of our problems,” Goldy said.

Now that the Board of Selectman has approved the budget, it will go to the Finance Committee, which will hold its next public meeting in March.