Budget workshop set for Wednesday

Town Manager Bruce St. Denis will present a fiscal year 2009-10 budget update and a year-to-date expenditure analysis of the town’s finances at its first budget workshop 2 p.m., Wednesday, May 5.

The budget packet presented to the commission Thursday evening reports that $2.72 million, or $1.12 million more than was budgeted for fiscal year 2009-10, will be needed to fund the town’s three pension plans next year because the plans are not meeting the actuary’s assumptions again this year.

St. Denis also stated the town attorney budget needs to be increased by $89,000 this year because of rising fees associated with proposed zoning changes. The outside attorney budget, St. Denis said, also needs another $50,000 to fund fees associated, in part, with the Port Dolphin natural gas line dispute.

St. Denis reported $125,000 is being returned to the general fund after department heads held meetings to review costs. The money will be used to offset revenue losses.

And St. Denis explained it will cost the town $217,000 in the 2010-11 fiscal year budget to add a new captain and patrol officer to the police department at Police Chief Al Hogle’s request. That amount, St. Denis said, is $24,000 lower than what a previous captain and officer were making.

St. Denis also reported the commission would save $80,000 for every 1% cut in employee pay and reports that employee furloughs can also be considered to save money.

For more information on the budget workshop and the town’s expenditure analysis, pick up a copy of the Thursday, May 6, edition of The Longboat Observer.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].