Board delays override decision

By Mary Carey
Staff Writer

Published on March 09, 2007

Select Board members still have a lot of questions for the Finance Committee about a proposed May 1 tax levy override.

But they agreed Monday to confirm by March 19, or possibly March 12, whether the levy will even call for an override and, if so, how much it should be.

The Finance Committee has recommended $2.5 million, combined with a three-year spending plan, cuts and a commitment from town officials not to request another override for three years.

School Committee members have said they endorse the Finance Committee's proposal and moreover would like to know as soon as possible how big an override the Select Board will agree to.

No great hurry

But Select Board members said they are in no great hurry to arrive at a figure. They also said they would take into consideration a suggestion by Town Meeting member Vincent O'Connor that they postpone the May 1 date. That would give the Legislature more time to deliberate on how much state aid would be coming to cities and towns, O'Connor said.

O'Connor also advocates that some high-level town officials and administrators who support a May 1 override agree to resign if an override on that date fails.

Select Board members did not explicitly endorse or reject that proposal. Member Robie Hubley argued that the board should set an override at $1.5 million to shore up a projected $3.7 million shortfall in the coming year's spending plan. Generating projections beyond one year amount to "pure vapor," he said.

Hubley is not sure a larger override would pass, citing a survey he said Town Meeting member Nancy Gordon recently conducted. She sent out 300 questionnaires to a random sampling of residents, about half of which were returned. Fifty-five people said they would not support any override, Hubley said. Thirty-five said they would support a $1 million override; thirty-three would support a $3 million override; and eight respondents said they would support a $6 million override.

Hubley also argued in favor of delaying a decision on the size of the override as long as possible. A decision has to be made by March 26, a night the board is scheduled to meet. But because the town elections are the next day, said Anne Awad, the board chairwoman, the decision should be made at the board's meeting a week before.

A week can make a huge difference, said Hubley, who is up for re-election.

"There's no way in the world you can predict what's going to happen by Monday," he said. "Something has happened virtually every week since I've been alive."

Board member Hwei-Ling Greeney's chief concern is budgeting so that the town isn't facing a $2.4 million shortfall four years after an override passes.

The Finance Committee has projected that could happen, if other revenues weren't secured in the meantime.

Member Gerald Weiss, who is also up for re-election, advocated for deciding sooner rather than later, to give the schools more time to refine their financial projections. He would also like to see a commitment to not raise the tax levy to the full extent allowable in the event an override passes, if the town comes into more money in the meantime.

Possible sources of revenue include a hoped-for payment of $500,000 by the University of Massachusetts for fire services and more local aid from the state.

Member Robert Kusner argued that the town could press for a larger override than $2.5 million but make a commitment to not collect all of it the first year. Only Awad did not reveal what she is thinking about an override.