Selectmen hold off on school budget recommendation
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

The selectmen finished their multi-week review of the annual town meeting on Tuesday during a special meeting.

The board didn't take a position on the article asking voters to approve an override to help fund a gap in the school budget because final numbers were not available.

"I don't know how we do this in a nonoffensive way," Board Chairman Jonathan Dennehy said.

Town Administrator Kevin Paicos said the committee must know that the selectmen couldn't recommend something they didn't know.

The school committee was still determining the override request at their meeting occurring at the same time Tuesday night.

The selectmen decided to recommend passing over an article that would offer retired town employees town health insurance. The program would split the cost of the insurance 50-50.

The town does not currently offer insurance to retired employees.

"We positively will lose employees because of this," said Paicos.

Paicos said he knows of two employees who are considering leaving. He said that by putting the issue on the town meeting floor it will show its importance, but that it must be passed over at the moment because of lack of funding.

"I agree that this needs to be done," said Selectman Mark Carlisle. "It will become an issue. … There's a good chance we might be able to fund it in the fall."

Paicos recommended funding the measure either in the fall or as part of next year's annual budget.

Advisory Board Chairman Bill Johnson asked selectmen if they thought this was more of a priority than adding public safety personnel. None of the selectmen committed to either item agreeing to look at both needs.

"We need to stop talking and we need to come up with a plan on how to add (the positions and the insurance)," said Fire Chief Paul Zbikowski.

He advocated emphasizing the struggles of the limits put on a town by Proposition 2 1/2.

"It doesn't keep up with the needs of the town," he said. "It doesn't fund us the way we need to."

Dennehy argued that Proposition 2 1/2 does work if a budget is done effectively. They both agreed that the support has to come from the local levels and not from the state.

In other business:

+ Selectmen approved waiving building department fees for the construction of the public safety building and the renovation of the town hall.