Advisory Board proposes $106,000 spending shift
By Caitlyn Kelleher Journal Reporter

Advisory Board Chairman Bill Johnson surprised representatives of the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District, when he said Monday that the board is recommending taking $106,000 from the school appropriation for public safety.

Johnson said the Advisory Board wants to break-up that $106,000, which is a portion of the town's new- growth revenue, to fund a new police officer and a new firefighter.

"We have to worry about all of these things the schools don't have to worry about," Johnson said. "(The future financial picture is) not going to get any better."

The fire department requested two new paramedic/firefighters as part of the upcoming budget and the police department requested another full-time officer.

Neither request was granted in the budget Town Administrator Kevin Pacois recommended to the Advisory Board or the selectmen.

Johnson said the $106,000 represents a way to change the formula on how the town gives money to the school district. Paicos built the town's operating budget around a school budget figure that was 2.5 percent above last year's plus 50 percent on the new growth in town.

"I'm sorry it's late in the game," Johnson said. "But the numbers are a moving target. It isn't too late to do something like this."

School Committee Chairman David Christianson and the other school representatives were upset by the announcement.

"I'm just floored, because where did this come from?" Christianson said.

He said that he was willing to talk about long-term solutions but that in the short-term he was upset with the proposal.

"I've never pitted and I will never pit the fire, police and highway against the schools," said Superintendent of Schools Michael Zapantis. "I'd much rather see you guys support an override with police and fire alone or with the schools. … We should have had this discussion in tri-board meetings weeks ago."

The town's portion of the school budget, which officials built into the town's operating budget, and determines what a possible override figure would show.

"I have concerns about restructuring the formula without a discussion of the formula," Paicos said.

Paicos said a different vote has to be taken by the Advisory Board to have the town meeting warrant reflect the changes. Johnson said the board was meeting Thursday, after press time, to continue their discussion.

The Advisory Board's duty according to the town charter is to recommend an operating budget.

"We don't want to do this in a vacuum," Johnson said.

The selectmen said they had concerns about such large last-minute changes to the budget.

Selectman Jonathan Dennehy said he agreed with Johnson's premise but not the timing.

He said he's bothered that he doesn't know what will be cut if the proposed override fails and exactly how much it will be.

Selectman Mark Carlisle said moves like this are what pit the town and the school against each other.

"At the end of the day it's the kids in the school that pay the price," he said.

Selectman Christopher Gagnon asked Christianson whether there is an impact to Westminster's share of the school budget.

Christianson said if the override does not pass, then there is an impact. He said Westminster would have to lower their contribution by approximately $150,000, because the two towns must pay proportional amounts of the budget.

Gagnon said he thought that the override request from the school should be brought below the $500,000 mark, but he didn't support the change in the operating budget.

"You take $250,000 out of a $25 million budget, it's like what do you do now," he said. "I don't think I can support throwing a wrench into it at this point."

Gagnon said he would be willing to discuss a change in the funding formula for next year's budget. He said he would like to focus on how to reduce the override proposal, possibly sharing the money from the override in the future and changing the formula for next year.

Johnson said it's the superintendent and school committee's job to be advocates for the schools and the students.

"They're never going to have enough money and it's not their fault," he said.

Fire Chief Paul Zbikowski thanked the Advisory Board for their effort.

"We don't have the same latitude to get the override requests," he said. "We don't go into the budget season saying these are the minimum numbers we have to have."

Selectmen voted to recommend Paicos's recommended budget during Monday's meeting, but they may reconsider it at their meeting on Tuesday, April 17.