Fellow Residents, I sit hear typing this post with a sense of consternation, aggravation and dismay. I would like You to take a moment to reflect and ask yourself a couple questions…
What do You expect of your Budget Committee and the Budget process?
What do You see as the Budget Committee’s purpose and function?
What amount of influence, guidance, control, input and authority do you expect it has?
I personally am astounded at the treatment of the current Budget Committee and the experience as it has proceeded this year. I will share just a couple instances and observations as an example..
The Budget Committee requested to review budgets and spending with department managers, to provide recommendations to Selectmen. Instead Selectmen would meet with department managers and then “set” the budget informing the Budget Committee there will be “No Changes”.
Budgets estimates were due by all departments just after the first of the year. The Budget Committee has canceled meetings and re-scheduled and are still getting budgets only a week before we meet. This is odd given the Selectmen meet multiple times during the day, during the week and yet cancel evening meetings.
All Budgets presented to date have had very little to no downward change with the Roads budget actually increasing $200,000.
Last evening while a Budget Committee member was inquiring how things are handled, the Road Commissioner walked away from the meeting, showing a total level of disrespect to the member and the committee. Throughout the meeting members of the committee pointed out several areas that could improve operations and save monies, but nothing will change, many are the same issues that have been pointed out years past.
The Budget Committee has reviewed accounting transactions where items are placed in the wrong budget accounts. I recall the same issues occurring last year and hearing the Budget Committee be told by Selectmen it would change. Well it hasn’t changed, and appears to be accepted practice. Everyone tends to lay blame at the “treasurer” when in fact the department heads and Selectmen should obviously be looking at the accounts routinely to know where they stand week to week, month to month. The Budget Committee was informed last night, the proposed solution from Selectmen is to place the road budget (more than 2/3rd of the towns expenses) into a single $1,2 million dollar account instead of splitting them, thus reducing accounting accountability instead of strengthening or increasing it.
In my experience and in research I have done, I have never seen it explained that a Budget Committee is to only ask questions and then only vote. Here is a list of objectives or purpose of a Budget Committee you might typically see. I would imagine this list will follow what you have in your mind as well:
* Reviews department budgets and making recommendations;
* Examines periodic reports showing actual performance compared with the budget Significant variances are identified and recommendation made on actions to be taken;
* Develop and examines long term plans and needs;
* Identifies budget objectives;
* Give advice to board of directors and chief executive;
* Creates a better understanding and awareness among managers of the role of each others department;
* Coordination of budgets or budgeting;
* Review external conditions like economic conditions for the ensuing period;
* Considers forecasts compiled by departmental managers.
Typically the actual work of budgeting is done by a Budget Committee. The chief executive / selectmen should head or be an active participant WITH the budget committee. The only benefit to the residents this Budget Committee serves is to meet for hours each week and ask questions. We never get any changes or solid assurances of change. Through the support of private video at least residents can see and hear the dialogue exchange.
I have said it before but it bears repeating “The definition of insanity is doing the exact same thing over and over and over again and expecting different results”
My fellow committee members and I are good people trying to do a good job… We care. It is important You understand clearly that we have no impact on the Budgets as presented, or the articles that are drafted for you to vote on. As a committee we question practices, policy, methods, and expenses as items are gone through, but that is about it. These recommendations for changes and or concerns we raise are not formerly prepared or presented since we have previously been told no changes will be made. It has also been demonstrated that even when changes have been told to be made, they never ever happened.
All this results in the only power or influence any members of the Budget Committee and You for that matter is to vote NO.
Most importantly vote No on the “Essential Services” article, so that operating budgets DO NOT roll back for the entire year. This article being in place results in the unapproved budgets rolling back back and they are never revisited. ALL the power is thus taken away from the people and your budget committee. If a budget increase is approved you can almost never get it reduced. It’s my opinion if there was a potential for work stoppage more parties would participate faithfully. I certainly don’t want a stoppage, but I don’t accept the process as being functional as it is.
We as residents deserve better, we expect better, and we have to have improvement. We need greater cuts on these larger budgets, improvement with accountability of funds, and overall improvement with the way town affairs are managed particularly with regards to Roads. I don’t have all the answers, but I know a problem when i see one. We have to stop doing things the way we are and do them differently if we want to see different results.
I am not posting this as a rant, if it comes across that way I apologize. I just believe it is important for residents to understand what there Budget Committee actually can do since in my case, it falls far short of expectations.
being on the budget committee for the last several years this year is a joke!! budgets are to be done by january 7th to be viewed by the selectmen so they can be reviewed by the committee.as of last night the dump budget wasn’t yet accepted.a department run by a selectman and two months after their due and his hasn’t even been approved?? is there something hid in the budget we aren’t supposed to find as was last year when one member discovered he was paid salary PLUS ??we are to review his budget wednesday but no paper work to look at as of today.
last nights meeting is the same that occurs with the road budget.when questions are asked on wasteful practices you get hollered at because you are not a rubber stamper on his budget.some points i brought up:
#1 road commisioner being paid a salary of $551.00 a week yet getting paid for equipment with operator at the same rate without deducting money he recieves as his salary.example:if he uses his excavator he recieves $920.00 per day times five work days equals $4600.00 plus his $551.00 totaling $5,151.00 !! nice little racket.
#2 paving being put out to bid then hiring other paving company out of n.h. to do other paving without even getting prices from local paving companys that pay taxes in this town ?!maybe more backdoor dealings ??
#3 putting ditching out to bid to cut cost signifigantly (currently spending over $30,000 a year)
#4 putting gravel,rip rap,etc. out to bid.currently one of our selectman has the market cornered on this item. again without recieving prices from other local businesses
these are just a few problems i have with this budget.when the salary was discussed our road commissioner said he has a salary so he gets FREE insurance from the town and he could care less about the money.if this is the truth wouldn’t he give the taxpayers back his salary that he also recieves while sitting in his machine!!! as glen stated if this budget is approved it will NEVER go down because of the “essential services” article. how much is enough??? sorry glen but i do post this as a rant but this town needs to wake up!!!
I believe it is time to consider shutting down the town hall like we did 10 years ago by voting down the budgets until a realistic one without corruption is put forth.
THANK YOU!!!!
shut it down
What do you need for signatures to be on the ballot? When are the terms up for everyone?
If you want to place an item on the ballot… You require 10% of the people in town who voted in the last gubernatorial election which unless it’s changed is about 167.
(you also need to have this done early to allow the signatures to be certified or they will hold it)
To run for office such as Selectmen, Road Commissioner, or Budget Committee I think it is half that 84.
Selectmen Chair Frizzell the Road Commissioner Ray Davis’s terms end this June – Selectmen Cole 2010 – Selectmen Patch – 2011
There are like 3 seats coming up for the Budget Committee as well.
I would check with Laura Bragg at the town hall to be sure and of course you need more signatures than the minimum in case the people signing were not properly registered voters.
Good Luck!!
i believe 25 signatures are needed to run for a position.four seats i believe are open on budget committee.
Thank you guy’s.Oh one more thing,hallsigns.com anti theft hardware for street signs,because if your telling me we spent 10k on street signs at about 23 a pop that’s 434 signs that have been stolen and replaced last year. come on….. or was paving and ditching and broken saw’s mixed into that also.
apparently you are not aware of the nut and shell game we play with the road budget.spend money from one account put it under another til we have a zero account everywhere.must be another accounting error.(wink,wink)as of 2-22-10 we have $48,326.77 in the summer budget and $275,404.17 in the winter budget.think of all the ditching we can do in the spring with all that money!!just like CHRISTMAS in the spring!!!!!why is the budget up over $200,000 this year than last year when we have more than that left over unspent??maybe another accounting error?
Maybe some more signs have been stolen. Who decides about the budget committee and the role they play in this and don’t tell me the selectmen or i’m gonna lose it.
read the papers and see what is going on in berwick as we speak.
I think it’s time that we have a good clear understanding of the town’s finances and how things are run. With good transparancy nobody would have to sepnd their time speculating about what’s going on, becasue the information would be available. In this age of information it’s easy to collect all the pertinent data and put it where any citizen can access it. With that, things would become efficient and citizens could become more informed voters. I can’t see any legitamate reason why anyone would want it otherwise.
If they shut down the town hall, let me guess they all still get paid.
Why are you guy’s on a fake budget committee anyway’s?
selectmen determine the role of the budget committee.they are looking for a RUBBER STAMP COMMITTEE that asks no questions and votes yes on everything.the budget committee does recieve expense reports for every department but like wages if you as an individual do not ask the treasurer for wage reports you do not know who got paid what.this was the case last year when the dump budget wages were requested by a member and found the department head was paid SALARY PLUS!!this info cost $0.50 per page even though you are on this committee and looking for money issues that need fixing.example i requested salary and vendor payouts and it cost me $23.00 for this info.even though its public knowledge you still pay for it.if the town hall is closed or any “essential service”that budget reverts back to last years budget so their is no reason to cut your budget because it will never go down with this article being approved every year.why be on the budget committee? to try to enlighten residents like yourself to wasteful spending practices that occur every year.if enough people get our message change will occur.to wake residents up is the biggest challenge.its our money and our votes so please get out and vote in june and stop the waste!!
Mark, I don’t believe it’s fake,just not the way it should really be.I actually stopped in to check it out and it seems like we have alot of people on the board that do want to help out and help the town with change. The only problem is what ever is stopping them from making good group decisions on how our money is being spent.I strongly feel if we can break the wall’s to help this committee actually help us ,it would be a big step in a good direction for our town and the way it operates.
I must say that I watched some of the budget committee hearings last year and the ones you have already. its so obvious to see that SOME (Not all) of the members have agendas. Some larger budgets go through with no questions and then budgets like the rescue that is paid for by their revenues get scrutinezed for hours. I watched most of the shows on tv and it looked like the rescue was the only one last year that cut their budget when the budget committee made recommendations.
If the people on the budget committee were fair, which some are, dont get me wrong, but some are obviously against some departments and pushing their own agendas.
We need to get honest, caring people on the committee without agendas and without family in town departments
no matter the size and/or who presents their budget it should be scrutinized and questions asked about expendetures,revenues,etc.. this is of course you have something to hide or are worried about family and friends losing their job over wasteful spending practices that we uncover.some department heads think the town gives them a blank check for the year and THEY will spend THEIR budget as THEY see fit.once voted on WE the taxpayer has NO say so how this money is spent!!!
I AGREE, SCRUTINIZE ALL OF THE BUDGETS. BUT IT SO OBVIOUS THEY DO NOT. I WATCHED THE FD BUDGET AND IT WENT THROUGH AND SOME PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY ACTING LIKE THE CUTS MADE WERE HUGE, EVEN THOUGH IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE WERE MORE CUTS AVAILABLE. I HAVE FAMILY ON BOTH FIRE AND RESCUE.
ITS TOO BAD RESCUE DOESNT HAVE FAMILY ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE TO HELP RUBBER STAMP THEIR BUDGET!
IF THEY VOTE DOWN ALL THE TOWN ITEMS, WHAT HAPPENDS? DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL VOTE AND PAY THOUSANDS FOR THAT. MAYBE WE SHOULD WORK ON ELECTING BUDGET COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND SELECTMEN WHO WILL DO THE BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY AND NOT WHATS BEST FOR FAMILY OR PERSONAL GAIN
unless the referendum to allow “essential services”is voted down all “essential”budgets go back to last years budget.the problem with the way our budget committee works we have no say so on anything.ask questions then vote yes or no.the only way to change this is through our selectmen(who we elect)who at present want no changes to anything.a good catch phrase one of them has is don’t like what we do vote us out.in june hopefully some will get their pink slips and sent packing!!as a budget committee member i’ve preached about budget cuts because people are hurting and our school is losing over one million in state aid but this has fallen on deaf ears.department heads WON’T cut their budget because if the referendum reverts back to the following year.like the road budget for $1.1+ million once that budget gets passed it will NEVER go back to under one million.think about it!!! what’s cheaper voting no on all budgets have them redone and voted on again for under $2,000 or just voting yes and paying over $200,000 more per year.not a tough decision unless you have a piece of the cash cow pie!!!
IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN WHY ARE WE VOTING ON A NEW 400,000 FIRE TRUCK THAT THEY SAY WE DON’T NEED. I HEARD THE BUDGET COMMITTEE ALREADY UNANIMOUSLY VOTED FOR THIS? I HEARD SOMEONE AT THE LOCATION SAID THEY DIDNT EVEN NEED THE TRUCK. SO IF PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT CUTTING BUDGETS, WHY WASTE 400,000?
WHY DID THE BUDGET COMMITTEE VOTE TO APPROVE KNOWING HOW BAD WE ARE IF WE DONT NEED THE TRUCK?
fact:budget committee has voted for nothing as of yet.fire department asked for opinions and thats it.a couple of us at this meeting said that as tough as our times are the fire department is hard pressed to have this passed.i for one agreed.ask before jumping to conclusions that people like to stir up rumors.
I truly feel sorry for the budget committee. It truly must be heartbreaking to see the departments waste and waste and waste. I have one question for them. How do they sleep at night? I have to give you guys a thumbs up on the budget committee for trying…….
When I say how do they sleep at night I am talking about the department heads who are USING us as cash cows.
THE NEWSPAPER SAID THEY HAD VOTED, SO I GUESS THE NEWSPAPER DOESNT HAVE A CLUE, AS USUAL. GO FIGURE.
I THINK IT IS GREEDY TO ASK IF THEY DONT NEED IT. WAIT UNTIL TIMES GET BETTER.
STRIVE, NOT EVERYONE ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE SHOULD BE THERE. THEIR PERSONAL GAIN IS WHAT MAKES THE COMMITTEE LOOK BAD
my seat on the budget committee is up this year and if someone can do better than what i’ve tried to do for the last several years get your papers signed.i have never been a rubber stamper and when i cast my last vote it will be for the town not for what my buddies need &/or want.how do they sleep at night??because its about the benjimans in their pocket.some day lebanon will wake up and the cash cow WILL dry up (if it isn’t too late for some).
I am sorry to see you go chris. You have always been up front and thought about the people in this town. I had thought about signing up to run, but I fear that if I do you or Glen would have to come and bail me out of jail lol. My brutal honesty would definitely get me in trouble. lol I too only want what is best for this town. You and Glen have shown your steadfast desires to do nothing but what is GOOD!!!!!
i still may run but if there is a better canidate out there.
dont get me wrong Chris, I have seen you on the videos and you do care. I don’t see any issue with you. Its sad that some people bring their agendas to the table. See how much questioning the fire department got for a $120,000 budget and a $400,000 fire truck? 45 minutes????
Last year the rescue which costs the taxpayers nothing got 3 hours of grilling over small items, and again, no cost to the taxpayer?
We will watch this year thanks to this site and see how they treat EVERY department!
I think we have too much waste at town hall and they need to cut the waste. Maybe cut some of the road stuff too, but i know roads are bad, but do them right. Get the right people on boards who care for the community, not their wallets.
I agree, I think the budget committee is totally biased and in it for their own good, with a few exceptions. They never grill everyone, some get rubber stamped.
Chris, I think from what I have seen you ask good questions and Glen also. There are a couple others that seem to care. Then you have the relatives and workers of the town…..
Folks…your missing the point
The budget committee isn’t setting budgets!
The time being spent in scrutinizing the spending practices etc in the end is nothing more than a coffee hour with expense ledgers and No coffee.
There is no feedback loop on the process
In the end we the Budget Committee votes on an item to recommend or not, the residents you get the vote that matters the only one that really counts.
If your for or against something vote your will.
The issue is how things get on the warrant / ballot, how the budgets are set, and how the money is managed and spent.
Checks and balances – We just keep writing checks.
My god why do you always pit fire aganist rescue?
From what I heard fire had a open meeting to show why the new truck is needed and only one resident showed up. Instead you all come on here and bash without gathering the true information. You all want to help the town? Get out from in front of you computer and stop spreading hate and discontent. Get outside of you bubbles.
I’d love to get outside Whartever, except I never know where the gun fire is coming from. We have NO Ordinances to prevent this sort of thing.
Besides, I would miss all of your wealth and information that you provide us with in reference to MILTON’S fire dept. lol
Not that it matters….LOL
Whatever,
looking at the posts, it looks like you are pitting fire against rescue, you’ve been caught in lies, you spread half truths and people have caught on.
The fact is that we do need an ambulance and no one debates that. We do not need yet another new fire truck to sit at the station for the few calls they respond to. Wow, 2 fires, it is obvious when you have a shed the size of a large table and you get 15 trucks there that mutual aid works.
Look at the notes, video and comments from the transfer station budget committee meeting on 3-10-10.
The fact we can have over 48 TON of tires (3600) this fall alone come into the facility and the manager not see it unusual is baffling. The nearly $18,000 transaction and it’s odd time slip and detail. It is just issue after issue after issue.
We get what we deserve if we don’t take action. There needs to be changes, and we need to take the power back. The Charter Commission will start us down the right path in putting better checks and balances in place.
As a Budget Committee member I have seen little in the way of Budgets I can support and the process is as broken as it could be.
We need firm controls, checks and balances and more involvement by the public until we can achieve them.
maybe these tires ROLLED IN while the dump department head was:
a] visiting the girls at the town hall on official business.
b]having lunch with his wife in the push button room.
c]watching t.v. in the push button room.
d]helping the elderly unload their trash and the tires snuck by unnoticed.
e]home and someone entered the facility when it was closed.
f]out picking up other tires on the side of the road.
or maybe it was an accounting error.everything else is an accounting error why not this as well.or maybe glen just got his figures wrong and was looking at the wrong paperwork.
Right off you must be thinking about someone else. Because in all my post I have never said anything about Milton. Also I have not been caught in a lie. Whatever is me and me alone. As for the scrutinizing of spending how about this for a spin. The reason the Fire department had a short time explaining was because the budget was throught and as you all say transparent. Maybe Rescue’ s took a while due to the fact that it wasn’t. Just a thought.
The rescue is transparent year round, they put everything on their web and when people have questions, they answer them.
What ever happened to the $80,000 the FD private corporation got when they were donated land and sold it – that would have been a good down payment on the new UNNEEDED truck!
VOTE NO NEW FIRE TRUCK!!!
The trucks and equipment belong to the town. From what I have been told the Corporation takes care of the building.It is two different things.
Thats what I like about the rescue, they post their minutes of their meetings and include financial reports of their corporation. When the corporation for the rescue raises money, they then buy stuff for the town to use, like water rescue suits when the rescue members bravely tried to save that little girl and her grandmother, those suits were because of fundraising. They are very transparent. I did not know the fire department was in the real estate business and selling land, but that money should go to the town and then maybe used for the new fire truck? Thats sad that they dont help the town and if they really want this luxury super pumper thats not needed, sell more land!!
Is it legal for a FD to have a private corporation?
Maybe the FD should SELL some of the equipment that is just laying around since they don’t have many calls per year as the rescue does. That’s a good idea average joe, sell some more land as long as it isn’t mine.