Manager paints grim picture of budget
By Melissa Muntz Community Reporter

Shrewsbury - Town Manager Daniel Morgado has submitted a spending plan of $101.18 for fiscal year (FY) 2009 that is out of balance by more than $4.2 million.

"We knocked the dickens out of the municipal departments," Morgado said. "We took everything out and each department is left with virtually level funding."

In a budget statement presented to the Board of Selectmen Jan. 28, Morgado said increases in mandated costs and spending expectations from the state combined with a lower-than-average property tax rate have left the town unable to continue providing services at the current level.

"For the past two years, I have advised you of a regression in our ability to keep pace with the service needs of this community resulting from the lack of financial resources," the statement reads. "While we continue to provide excellent service to our residents, our staff is wearing thin, service levels are not keeping pace with demand, and there is a continuing degrading of some of our facilities and public works infrastructure."

Included in Shrewsbury's revenue projection are funding the town expects to receive from the Avalon at Shrewsbury Hills development mitigation package and increased revenue expected budget

to be generated by the new Wheelabrator agreement.

Not included in the budget numbers are Gov. Deval Patrick's estimated funds that would come from proposed casino projects or additional revenue that would be generated by a pay-as-you-throw trash removal system, which Morgado encouraged the board to adopt.

"The School Department is going to have to feed on the municipal side and solid waste removal is going to have to feed on the municipal side and there's not a lot to feed on," he said.

Implementing a pay-asyou throw program would cut a little more than $1 million from the budget.

Although many people have spoken out against a fee-based trash removal system, Morgado said the town's inability to increase tax revenue through a Proposition 2-1/2 override has left him with few options.

"The tax rate in Shrewsbury is substantially below all neighboring towns," Morgado said. "If you took the exact same building in Shrewsbury and placed it across the Westborough line, you'd get 30 to 40 percent more tax revenue out of the same building."

Aside from pay-as-youthrow, the manager also recommended that the board look to water and sewer rate increases and renegotiation of the town's health insurance plan (which will need to be completed by July 1) as ways to increase revenue and cut spending.

The budget examination and evaluation process begins when the Finance Committee holds its first budget review session Saturday Feb. 2 at 9 a.m.