April 25, 2022 | Town Admin SUTTON BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 4-25-2022 The meeting was opened by the chair, Robert DeFelice, @ 6:30 PM: present were John Mock, Gail Guertin, Bruce Kozikowski, Samantha Gordon and Bob Wright. Members of the BOS attending were Walter Baker and Michael McManus. The chair reviewed the function of the budget committee – ‘to gather information to prepare a budget for the ensuing year.’ It is not a financial committee, which is charged with the day to day oversight of expenditures. The budget committee looks at 3 to 5 year past year budgets. The closer the year, the greater the comparative analysis. The budget is the basis of money to be raised and appropriated. The BOS, with input from the department heads make the determination of money actually spent. The process of department heads appearing before the budget committee is as follows: Department heads appear before the budget committee two (2) weeks after presenting their budget to the BOS.. Departments to come before the budget committee are: highway, police, solid waste, TC, and executive. Departments that may come before the budget committee are cemetery, Planning & Zoning, Fire and Rescue. Other departments may come before the budget committee, but absent that, the budget is presented by the budget committee chair. A department head is likely to be invited by the budget committee, if that proposed budget contains an existing CR (Capital Reserve) that is intricate or a new CR. The budget committee will meet on Monday’s @ 6:15 PM @ the fire station. A budget head may be invited back a 2nd time if additional information is required. This year’s budget committee focus will be CR’s. CR’s are important in that they are (a) an allocated reserve, (b) money set aside in that CR can only be used for that CR, (c) if the CR is discontinued what money is returned to the general fund (d) CR’s are used to level budget peaks and valleys. It is the setting aside of monies for large purchases. In years past, CR’s would make up 50% of major item cost and the other 50% would be raised by general taxation. Now the CR funds 100% of the cost of such an item, unless there is not sufficient funds in that allocated reserve. If a piece of equipment extends beyond its normal life, then the use of that CR is deferred. This contingency is built into the CR system. It was moved by Wright and 2nd by Gordon that Robert DeFelice would serve as chair and Gail Guertin would serve as vice chair for the budget committee for the 2022 – 2023 budget cycle The motion was carried without dissent. Absences: Excused absences reqire notification to the chair prior to the meeting. If unexcused absence totals three (3) then that individual, by law, is removed from the budget committee. It was moved by Wright and 2nd by Gordon to adjourn – time of adjournment was 7:43 PM The time of the next meeting will be determined and announced by the chair. Respectfully submitted, Robert W Wright Jr. Acting Scribe