Tension runs high at budget meeting
By Melissa Muntz Community Reporter

Shrewsbury - The School Committee, Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen joint budget session saw finger pointing from some members of the School Committee, which has stated that it will seek a Proposition 2-1/2 override if its $46.33 million fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget is not fully funded.

The School Committee had cut its initial budget request by $600,000 to get to the current amount, which is an 8.5 percent increase over FY 2008, something Finance Committee Chair Gene Buddenhagen said the town cannot absorb.

"We can no longer increase these budgets at the rate we've been increasing them," Buddenhagen said. "The town side increase is less than 2 percent."

The current municipal budget of $90.62 million is currently $1.3 million to $1.6 million short. Buddenhagen said an override would only be a temporary solution and that the real answer is going after the state for additional funding.

School Committee members said that most of the additional costs are for items they have no control over, like contractually obligated salary increases, Special Education staff and increased transportation costs.

Although the budget could be cut more, School Committee Chair Deborah Peeples said she believed the program would take a serious hit because teachers and program would be cut.

"We can make these cuts but we believe they will destroy the program," she said.

Peeples expressed frustration that the community voted down three recent override attempts. But Buddenhagen said there is a diff erence between the idea that people won't pay more and that they can't pay more.

"I'm very worried about the people in this town," he said. "People are losing their jobs, they can't keep up with utilities, foreclosures are up, and you're talking about an override?"

Long-standing School Committee member Mark Murray accused the town of not doing enough to increase revenue.

"We're long on the process but short on results in dealing with fiscal problems," Murray said. "We need to address the structural deficit with focus and urgency. This is not about words and promises. It's about actions, results and being successful."

Murray's statement insulted some selectmen.

"We have done everything we can to tighten up loopholes, raise fees, the board has just recommended payas you-throw. Where is there another source of revenue?" Chair Maurice DePalo said.

The Board of Selectmen must decide by mid-March if they will, in fact, place an override question on the ballot.