Thursday's budget work session on Paris' financial structure and its management included some promising question asking and open discussion between committee members and attending selectboard. There has not been such since the budget process began earlier in March. NPCTV and a reporter from The Advertiser Democrat were also in attendance.
It is a good thing to have the press, because there is no other way for voters to learn about what might happen with their money. Even though there is a token hearing sometime in April, it is only a presentation of a done deal; the work has been finished and approved ready for the June town meeting. Input from the voters - read that the bill payers -is not solicited.
It is a good thing, also, because there are huge financial questions on the horizon, and a feeling of confidence does not abound for the budget planning exhibited by Mgr. Phil Tarr so far.
Granted the economy is tight all over, and municipal needs are many. Paris selectboard voted 4-1 to seek a flat lined budget. This in itself approaches the unrealistic, when there are costs that will not go away no matter what belt tightening is implemented...the state of our roads being high on the list.
A solution offered by Mgr. Tarr is to float a million dollar bond, repayable over 5 years, first payment not to be in this year's budget. To use for what? And how to pay it back? And what about the other costs still accruing while paying back the bond? The 12 or 13 people in the discussion, all Paris citizens who would be included in any consequences, were divided on a bond approach. No agreement was reached.
Mgr. Tarr had been promoting the idea of Paris Highway Department doing its own road work to save money as the bond is paid back, insisting that our new highway foreman and our equipment and gravel...at the ready not too far away...would make that a workable solution. Last night there was a little backpedaling, with the highway foreman saying they could probably do some of the smaller jobs. Mgr. Tarr suggested that some roads, Ryerson Hill, for example could just "have it's surface stripped off and stay a gravel road for a while."
The budget committee and selectboard asked for more information on everything. Despite updates and new budget work sheets with new and different figures being cranked out of the front office for each session, members expressed frustration as they tried to keep up and get some sort of handle on what was going on.
NPCTV will broadcast the session Sunday April 3 at 6:30. See for yourself.
There is no opportunity to ask questions at these meetings. Questions - maybe answers, maybe discussion - only at the town meeting just before voting. Perhaps a question in a selectboard meeting during "citizens' comments" would be answered. Both the Advertiser Democrat and the Sun Journal have shown interest in keeping the public informed; that is certainly hopeful.
But it's our money, and we have to inform ourselves. Take advantage of NPCTV Sunday at 6:30 pm. Support and encourage the local press to ask questions and share the answers.
Items of worry, to list a few, about this budget:
(1) Do we want to saddle Paris with the dilemma of borrow now and pay later - adding to everything else we're already paying for later?
(2)What about roads - can they wait to be fixed properly? Can we afford for them to be "fixed" inadequately? Do we dare trust the decisions to be made wisely?
Part of a town budget is the "undesignated fund balance," Paris' policy linked here. It is a means to keep budgeted money until it's needed to pay the bills. Among other stabilizing factors, "It is a surplus of funds which have accrued from unexpected operating budgets and unanticipated excess revenues." [from Paris' policy, above.] There are strict guidelines on how much can be kept before it is turned over to specifically designated town funds.
(3) So, why would the town need to create an additional account, a reserve undesignated fund account - with less restriction ? What Mgr. Tarr called "a stabilization fund"? An account that eventually could approach as much as $500 K, and could be dipped into whenever, without having the item necessarily on the budget?
The chairman of the budget committee asked Mgr. Tarr for leadership - to give them more concrete information at this point, something they can get a hold of to finish putting this budget in place.
And we? We, the rest of the voters, need to educate ourselves and stay extremely vigilant.
