Ashby BOARD OF SELECTMEN
OCTOBER 4, 2006
Compiled by Karen Mann

Top Story:

An audit performed on the fiscal year 2005 budget showed that the budget is being balanced accurately.

The auditors praised the town's financial staff for their management of a tight budget and for keeping detailed records from the departments.

"The information you are getting from your staff to balance a day-to-day budget is accurate," Kevin Fox of Melanson Heath Auditors told selectmen.

According to Fox, the audit found there was no misspending during that year.

Fox recommended - as part of the audit process - that town officials keep a more comprehensive receipt log and draft a clearer policy about travel reimbursement for town officials.

Fox said the only significant problem was that during that fiscal year - which runs July 2004 to June 2005 - total expenditure exceeded total revenue by $281,000. Both expenditure and revenue exceeded what was planned for the year.

The town used free cash and other savings accounts to balance the budget, which is permitted under state law.

Fox said the town has a healthy stabilization fund, as it totaled 10 percent of the operating budget. He said the stabilization fund was reduced that year, mainly to support the library renovation project.

In Other News:

 Selectmen closed the request for submittal of articles for the special town meeting and approved the final copy of the warrant. Two articles were removed from the warrant regarding transferring money into the election and wages fund. Town Clerk Lorraine Pease originally estimated she would need an additional $1,700 to cover the costs associated with recall elections, such as ballot printings and poll workers. According to Town Administrator Linda Sanders said the article is being removed from the warrant because the actual cost will be higher, so she is going to request that the financial committee transfer money from the reserve fund to cover it.

 Selectman Geoff Woollacott was appointed to the North Middlesex Regional School District Planning Committee.

 Selectmen accepted the resignation of Fred Day from the Senior Tax Work-off Program Committee. The also announced they are looking for a replacement for Day.