Scituate Town Meeting balances 2010 budget
At special Town Meeting Monday night, the gathering of just over 100 residents balanced this year's budget by cutting about $340,000 in spending.
The Board of Selectmen chairman, Joseph Norton, who has been in town government for more than 20 years, said it was the fastest special Town Meeting he could remember.
“People came in, did what they had to do, and went home,” Norton said.
In about 30 minutes, the town’s voters approved about $120,000 in cuts from town-side budgets, mostly from capital purchases such as a police cruiser or other expenses.
The School Department shaved more than $220,000 from its budget, with savings in supplies, professional development, and other expenses..
The moves put the budget for fiscal 2010--which began July 1--in balance. Forecasts for the economic future are gloomy, but Norton and other town officials are remaining optimistic.
“We are not talking about layoffs at this point,” Norton said. “You didn’t hear that from public officials."
Norton said officials are keeping a close watch on the budget, but said it's too early to tell what steps might be needed for fiscal 2011.
“The next fiscal year, 2011, will be challenging,” Norton said, “but you never know, there could be a stimulus package and other ways to save money and not look at jobs. You don’t know until you get there.”
Talking about layoffs at this point only causes concern and demoralization of town employees, he said. However, to meet this year’s budget, all town unions took wage freezes, including teachers. Without the concession, town and school side jobs were expected to be cut.
New School Superintendent Susan Martin has said the wage freeze for this year prevented 17 to 20 teacher and other staff position cuts.
“Next year is going to be very difficult,” Martin said, and jobs will probably be on the line unless the economic picture changes.
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