Town Prepares To Deal With Default Budget

Amherst’s Town Meeting elections may be over this year, but the hard work is just beginning with departments facing a default budget this time around.

Voters of $11,095,396 last Tuesday, which leaves the town with $10,853,361 in the default budget. This leaves $242,035 less for town departments to work with over the next fiscal year.

Town employees will be meeting tomorrow to discuss the default budget implications, but department heads are already looking at the work ahead of them.

“The people have spoken and we'll have to adjust,” said DPW director Bruce Berry.

He said that his main concern lies in rising gas prices and more state costs being shifted to the local level. These increases and a smaller budget means that there will be cuts coming, but he is not sure where as of yet.

“It will take a while to figure out, but this is not the first time I’ve been in a default budget,” said Berry. “ We have to make adjustments because it is part of our job. We ask what we feel we need, and voters tell us what they think they can afford.”

The approval of $200,000 for road maintenance was good news for his department, but Berry predicts more challenges ahead.

Amherst Police Chief Peter Lyon said he is also looking into how increasing fuel costs will affect his department with a smaller budget. He is currently looking into what areas of his budget will be reduced to make up for this and other increases.

“It will take time for us to develop a business plan to address the shortage,” said Lyon.

Amherst Recreation Director Nancy McMillan’s said her main concern is the voters rejecting the buying of land this year to later turn into recreation space. This was to prepare for the loss of Cemetery Fields, which will cease recreational use after it is returned to the cemetery trustees in 2014.

“It is very disappointing that our voters choose not to fund this parcel to replace Cemetery playground and fields,” said McMillan. “The pain will not be felt until the reality sets in.”

She said that the town’s current recreation space is already being used to capacity and, in fact, actually overused according to safety and maintenance standards.

“The challenge for Amherst is to find an alternative; to accept the decision of the voters and move on,” said McMillan. “It is hard to optimistic immediately following a defeat. I am hopeful that this defeat wills those who call Amherst home to rise to the occasion and find a solution; a solution that will benefit all Amherst taxpayers.”

Amherst EMS director Brian Gleason said that his department will provide the best service it can under any budget.

"I can certainly appreciate how these difficult economic times affected many decisions at the polls last week,” said Gleason. "The EMS department will continue to provide the highest quality cost efficient patient care possible working within the limitations of the default budget".

The Board of Selectmen will hold their next public meeting Monday night.