Cop, fire budget passes first night of Town Meeting
By Scott Merzbach
Staff Writer
Published on May 02, 2008
Despite some concerns about the Police Department remaining understaffed, Town Meeting began this week by adopting the $8.16 million public safety budget recommended by the Finance Committee, opting not to restore two police officers.
Police Chief Charles Scherpa said the department has been trying to cut down responses through online reporting and using state police assistance, but it won't be enough long term to satisfy his worries.
"We're at a critical point," Scherpa said. "I'm not here to scare anyone, but if we don't do anything soon to increase the staff of the Police Department, it might come to the point of the streets not being safe after certain hours."
The opening night of the 249th annual Town Meeting, which will be dealing with a 47-article warrant in the coming weeks, also saw the dismissal of an article in which fines for overdue materials at the municipal libraries would be collected and placed in a revolving account, and the approval of a new exemption on personal property taxes.
Though the $8.16 million budget for public safety represents a 3.4 percent, or $268,674 increase, over this year's $7.9 million budget, the only new personnel included is returning the police chief's assistant to a full-time position.
Richard Morse of Precinct 7 told Town Meeting that he remains queasy about the police staffing situation, comparing them to the U.S. military. "We worry about our soldiers in Iraq; I worry about our soldiers in town," Morse said.
Town Manager Larry Shaffer answered questions about whether the University of Massachusetts is contributing enough to deal with student behavior. Shaffer said the mutual aid agreement with UMass police allows their officers to respond to incidents in Amherst on an as-needed basis.
"We won't be hesitant to bring in those resources when we think it's appropriate," Shaffer said.
But Town Meeting members rejected a motion by Flo Stern of Precinct 1 to put the two officers back in the police budget. This would have come at a cost of $119,386 when salaries and benefits are included.
Scherpa said that even though he would like to get the force back to 50 officers, and praised Stern for making the motion, he said Town Meeting needed to respect the annual budget process and should defer debate on the topic until the fall, when additional money might be available.
Shaffer, in his budget proposal, had recommended an economic development director and the two officers on a priority list for restoration should there be unanticipated money.
Other articles
Town Meeting agreed with the Jones Library trustees to dismiss a proposal that would have established a revolving fund to collect fines for overdue materials.
Trustee Louis Greenbaum said there would be no net funding to the library, since the Finance Committee would have removed the money from the town appropriation.
"It was decided that any (money) raised in that revolving fund would be deducted from that single amount raised, and would necessitate a reduction in the budget from town funding," Greenbaum said.
Mary Streeter of Precinct 8 said she was disappointed with this decision.
"This is an opportunity the town had to bring in new income," Streeter said.
The Select Board prior to the meeting agreed with the idea to dismiss the article, but member Anne Awad said she was reluctant to go along. "I do not support the position of the Finance Committee," Awad said.
Library Director Bonnie Isman said the hope is to come forward with a new proposal in the future, so the fines can go to the library rather than the town's general fund.
Town Meeting approved a new personal property exemption for accounts under $5,000, which will save staff time at Town Hall in collecting the taxes on small accounts but will not mean any lost revenue to the town.
Property tax bills will see a small increase to compensate for this.
Town Meeting appropriated $2.9 million to cover the town's assessment for the Hampshire County Retirement System and $31,323 for the Hampshire County Regional Lockup Facility.
Town Meeting also voted to amended the assessment method for the regional schools, an annual adjustment all four towns in the region make, and approved new amendments that shift transportation assessments from the regional school budget to the individual elementary schools' budgets and that allows a higher percentage cap on the excess and deficiency account.
Difficult times
Most departments and town officials went into Town Meeting agreeing on the budget proposals, but Finance Committee Chairman Brian Morton outlined just how difficult preparing a budget each year has become in challenging financial times. "Amherst continues to struggle with its structural deficit," Morton said.
Two inescapable facts that Amherst must face, Morton said, are that inflation exists and will continue to exist, and that overall costs will continue to rise to maintain current services.
Select Board Chairman Gerry Weiss said the budget went smoothly Monday, and hopes this can continue.
"During this long budget process, the Select Board, the Finance Committee, John Musante and Larry Shaffer agreed that it was imperative for us to arrive at consensus," Weiss said. "I'm pleased that Town Meeting passed the first area of the budget as presented, public safety."
On Wednesday, the second session of Town Meeting was expected to have more budgets discussed, beginning with the $1.7 million budget for the Department of Public Works, the $851,853 for planning, conservation and inspections and possibly the $20.7 million for the elementary schools and the $12.4 million assessment for the regional schools.
Daily coverage of Town Meeting sessions will be available in both the Daily Hampshire Gazette, online at www.gazettenet.com/beta, and at www.amherstbulletin.com.
Town Meeting continues May 5, May 12 and May 14, with various zoning amendments, Community Preservation Act spending and joint capital planning purchases coming before the elected body.
