December 13, 2021  |   

SUTTON BUDGET COMMITTEE MINUTES   12-13-21

 

The chair, Robert DeFelice, opened the meeting @ 6:00 PM.  Present:  Pete Thompson, John Mock, Gail Guertin, and Mark Peterson.  Samantha Gordon was excused.  It was moved by Thompson and 2nd by Guertin to accept the minutes of the committee’s 12-6-21 meeting.  There was a question on the accuracy of a comment, but the ruling is that the minutes reflect what is stated and not the accuracy.  The minutes were approved as presented w/o dissent.

 

The chair opened up discussion by stating that TA Phillips will not be making the budget presentation as not all the administrative information is available.   She will be making a full budget presentation on 1-10-22.  The week before that, Mr. Solimine will be presenting the budget of Solid Waste.  The chair continued with pointing out the importance of hearings and public information.  The voters of the town should vote on all pay increases @ Town Meeting.  It is very likely, that in this area, incomes, the budget committee’s recommended budget will differ from the budget offered by the BOS.  Also included was the observation that the BOS considers both the position and individual, but the budget committee considers only the position.

 

Selectman Baker arrived @ 6:22 PM.

 

There was a brief discussion of the KRSD STEAM program, the bond and the renovation.  The renovation cost is 22 million dollars and set up on annual payments of 1.6 million dollars with a 2.5% annual percentage charge.  Currently there is an annual 1.8 million annual bond payment for the middle school @ 4.5%.  The school formula assessment is 40% property valuation and 60% student population of each disparate town.   This is important for currently, in Sutton, the bond will cost $242 for each $200,000 of property valuation.  If the school population increases or decreases, then that amount will be adjusted.

 

The chair then passed out the following:

  1. Proposed 2022 budget for executive, elections, financial administration, revaluation, legal, personnel administration and ZBA.
  2. 12-18-21 Actual & Budgeted Expenses and Encumbrance.

Highlights of the presented budget presented by the chair are listed below:

  1. EXECUTIVE OFFICE
    1. 102 TA salary Budgeted  2021  $63,173   2022  $70,000  (parity)
    2. 103 Sec/Clerk wages Budgeted  2021  $42,546  2022  $52,000  (parity + additional hours.)
    3. 550 Printing Costs Budgeted 2021 $4,300  2022  $4,500  Actual 2021  $4,306
    4. 555 Advertising Budgeted 2021  $500  2022  $750  Actual 2021  $670
  2. ELECTION AND VOTER REGISTRATION Budget 2021 $2,466  2022  $4,750  Actual 2021 $630.  (One election in 2021  and 3 in 2022)
  • FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION (Office of TC) 102 Deputy  Budgeted 2021 $14,182  2022 $15,000.
  1. FINANCIAL / EXECUTIVE 105 Budget Committee Secretary Budgeted 2021 $1,013 2022 $1,015  — 391 Computer Budgeted 2021  $2,200 2022 $2,300 Actual 2021 $2,233  – 631 Mileage Reimbursement  Budgeted 2021 $1,000  2022 $750  Actual 2021 $592
  2. REVALUATION OF PROPERTY 100 Appraisal  Budgeted 2021 $11,000  2022 $11,500 Actual 2021 $10,508
  3. LEGAL FEES 200 Services Budgeted 2021  $12,000  2022  $21,000 This is the retainer, any amount over is for 2023.  Some expenses are reimbursed by applicants.
  4. 2
  • PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION
  1. 100 Health Ins. Executive Budgeted  2021  $67,117   2022  $78,345  Actual 2021 $64,882
  2. 101 Health Ins. Police Budgeted 2021 $114,633  2022  $105,348  Actual 2021 $96,757
  3. 102 Health Ins. Highway Budgeted 2021 $120,258  2022 $122,036  Actual 2021  $101,720
  4. 215 Group Ins. L/D/S-L Budgeted 2021  $6,000  2022  $5,100  Actual 2021 $5,052
  5. 216 Group Ins. Dental Budgeted  2021  $7,559  2022  $8,433   Actual 2021  $7,004
  6. 220 FICA    Budgeted 2021 $46,083  2022  $47,552  Actual 2021 $36,244
  7. 225 Medicare Budgeted   2021  $14,447  2022   $15,003  Actual 2021  $11,215
  8. 226 Salary Contingency (promotional increase)  Budgeted  2021 $5,065  2022  $10,000 There was no money spent for this line item in 2021.
  9. 230 Police Ret. Contribution   Budgeted  2021  $78,845   2022  90,697  Actual 2021  $57,945 This is a defined benefit formula, where the retirement income is established.  The figure are based on three officers and for budgeted expenses.
  10. 231 Highway Ret. Contribution Budgeted 2021 $14,318  2022  $15,548  Actual 2021 $8,603 This is a defined contribution formula where the contribution is determined on percent of salary.
  11. 232 Executive Ret. Contribution Budgeted 2021 $3,159   2022  $3,500  Actual 2021  $2,972 Again, this is a defined contribution plan.
  12. 233 Financial Ret. Contribution (TC) Budgeted 2021  $1,925  2022  $1,925  Actual 2021 $0
  13. 234 Administrative Retirement (TA & Asst.)  Budgeted 2021  $3,738  2022  $4,216  Actual 2021 $3,253

 

The total budget for Personnel Administration 2021  $485,147  2022  $509,703  Actual 2021  $395,646

 

  • ANING AND ZONING (1)  101  Land Use Coordinator  Budgeted 2021  $22,692  2022 $23,000  Actual 2021  $17,880 (based on actual time)  (2)  102  Professional Services 2021  $4,000 2022  $11,000  (Such necessary services shall be borne by the applicants)  Actual 2021 $4,690  (3) 103 Recording Sec.  Budgeted 2021  $2,567  2022  $2,000   Actual 2021 $1,220  (4)  555 Notices Budgeted 2021 $1,000  2022 $2,000   Actual 2021  $1,722  (5) Office Supplies  Budgeted 2021 $500 2022  $200  Actual 2021  $69

Prior to closing a comment was offered by the chair and members regarding the efficiency and frugality of the budget offered by the fire department and rescue squad.

 

It was moved by Guertin and 2nd by Mock to adjourn the meeting.  The meeting was adjourned @ 7:14 PM.  The next meeting of the Sutton Budget Committee will be @ 6:00 PM on January 3, 2022 to review the budget of Solid Waste.  The following week the committee will again review the budget of the executive (1-10-22)

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Robert W Wright Jr.

Scribe