Tax rate delay called 'unacceptable'
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Ashburnham Town Accountant Jim Shanahan presented a letter to selectmen Monday that dealt with issues surrounding expected revenue, including lowering expectations for the upcoming budget from all property taxes and the concern that the water fees would not cover the expenses of the Water Department.

He said the letter selectmen were signing should deal with all of the pending issues with the Department of Revenue.

"To me it is unacceptable to be sitting here on March 3 without a tax rate," said Selectman Jonathan Dennehy.

Shanahan and Interim Town Administrator Paul Boushell said delays on both the town end and especially the state level have prevented the FY08 rate from being set earlier.

The DOR as of Monday had not approved the town's tax rate. But Boushell said he expected their approval by the end of the week.

One of the major hurdles is that DOR officials do not think the water rate is sufficient to cover the department's operating costs. The Water-Sewer Commissioners are meeting on April 8 with Shanahan and Boushell to discuss the issue.

Shanahan said he "a realistic plan [for rate increases] and it will work." But the commissioners need to adopt the plan and set the rate.

"I've been writing all year [with concerns] about the water rate they set," Shanahan said.

Selectmen Chairman Mark Carlisle said he knows the water rates are going to increase again, after a hike earlier this year. Carlisle is the only of the three selectmen that is a town water customer.

Selectmen have asked the commissioners to attend their meeting in April.

In other business:

• Tempers flared during a discussion of the budget, which Boushell plans to present to the selectmen at their March 17 meeting.

Advisory Board Chairman Bill Johnson reiterated the fact that he would like to have seen the budget earlier. Carlisle said that holding the Advisory Board to that standard means the board should have produced a capital plan in October.

• Selectmen also did a preliminary review of the warrant for the annual town meeting, which included a number of citizens' petitions.