Lincoln Finance Committee
March 15, 2007 Meeting
Present: P. Giese, S. Haber, J. Koenig, P. Phillipps, J. Robinson, R. Steinbrook (chair)
Absent: M. Hartman (vice-chair)
Minutes submitted by: R. Steinbrook
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm in the Donaldson room at Lincoln Town Hall.
The committee conducted its annual budget hearing and presented the FY '08 base and override budgets that will be brought to Town Meeting on March 24, 2007.
Following a brief recess, the committee reconvened at 8:00 pm. The committee unanimously voted to concur with the Board of Selectman and award the 2007 Bright Light Award to Ellen Meadors, a member of the Board of Assessors.
The committee set meetings for Tuesday April 10 at 7:30 pm and Thursday May 3 at 7:30 pm. The chair will invite representatives of the Town and the Lincoln Public Schools to one of these meetings to discuss long-term debt and the funding of forthcoming capital projects.
With regard to the disposition of stabilization funds, the committee unanimously voted the following motion:
That the Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen instruct the Finance Director to manage the FY '08 tax recapitulation process by increasing estimated receipts to create $350,000 in “excess levy” capacity. Thus, the tax levy for FY '08 will be decreased by $350,000, the total amount that taxes would have been lowered if the transfers of stabilization funds authorized by the FY '06 and FY '07 Town Meetings had been applied as intended, rather than closing to Free Cash.
The motion has been presented to the Board of Selection and is to be considered at their March 19, 2007 meeting.
At 8:30 pm, the committee was joined by Ken Hurd, the chair of the Planning Board, and Mark Whitehead, the Town Planner, for a discussion of Warrant Article 27 for Town Meeting. This is a $95,000 appropriation for a consultant to the Comprehensive Long Range Planning Committee. There was an extensive discussion of the proposed appropriation. Following the discussion, the committee voted 5 to 1 in favor of a motion to take no position on the Warrant Article (Yes: Geise, Koenig, Phillipps, Robinson, Steinbrook. No: Haber.). The chair will prepare a brief explanation of the committee's decision for presentation at Town Meeting and will circulate this for comment.
The committee reviewed other warrant articles and identified members who will speak at Town Meeting as needed.
On behalf of the committee, the chair will prepare a brief column for the Lincoln Journal with regard to the budget that should be published before Town Meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 pm.
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