Hebron Dollars & Sense

Hebron Board of Finance Reduces Town Budget by $407,000; RHAM Reduces Budget by only $97,000

Details

Created on Friday, 11 May 2012 06:18

In summary, this action by the Hebron BOF represents a total reduction of the town budget (composed of Town of Hebron, CIP and Board of Education) from last year's budget by $661,030. That's basically a very close equivalent to the sewer debt reduction of $688,000.

How is that final number of an additional $407,000 reduction derived?

* Reduction of CIP budget by $171,435. Gone is the $150,000 HES parking lot and the new 26 parking spaces, along with an additional $21,435 in closed out CIP projects that had a balance. The information on the closed out CIP project balances was presented at the BOF meeting tonight, 5/10.

* Reduction of the Town of Hebron budget by $25,000, but an addition of $18,000 for a traffic control person at Hebron Elementary, for a total reduction of $7,000. The Board of Selectmen will meet to determine how to reduce their budget by the $25,000 (because the $18K has been designated for a specific purpose), but new initiatives from Round One budget were broadly discussed.

* Reduction of the Hebron Board of Education budget by $121,435. Much of this had to do with the loss of the $176,000 in federal ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) funding which was a one year gig, and should have been planned for last year in anticipation of losing that funding this year, but was not planned for by last year's board.

RHAM reduced their budget by a mere $97,000 with a lot of nickle and dime cutting. None of the big stuff, none of the elephants in the room. This made hardly an mpact on Hebron residents, who bear the bulk of RHAM funding, and who now face a 3.61% spending increase from RHAM because of... (1) increased student population of 26; and (2) increased spending in general.

The Town Budget must submit its legal notice by noon tomorrow. The referendum questions will now be: (1) Shall Hebron residents [etc] adopt a Town Budget of $33,876,251; and (2) Shall Hebron residents [etc] adopt a CIP budget of $752,533.

RHAM's legal notice will be: Shall residents of Hebron, Andover and Marlborough [etc] adopt a budget of xxxxxx [don't have the exact number, but it is now an increase of $421,964.]

There was much public discussion, including the thoughts of several that if the Hebron BOE cuts Challenge & Enrichment, paraprofessionals, etc, rather than their OWN elephants in the room (top heavy administration and ADK), the budget could be in jeopardy again since the Town budget, unfortunately, is not bifurcated, allowing people to support the town and express their pleasure or displeasure with the BOE budget. BOE will be meeting next Tuesday.