001I am going to call this meeting to order. This meeting is being recorded by the Ways and Means Committee. If any other person or persons is recording, um you must notify the chairperson at this time. Anyone online recording? Okay. Uh, I'm going to do a roll call vote. Councelor Bottomley >> here. >> Councelor Svenson Alves >> here. >> Councelor Williams >> here. >> Councelor Webb >> here. Thank you all for being here. Um, and uh, we have no approval of minutes at this time and Yes, that would be great. I like can't even see it for a second. I'm like don't have the right glasses. Um, so we will go to public comment. Um, any citizen that's pre present is allowed three minutes to talk. Um I will set a timer and uh I guess
002I will just say for everyone present not just for um citizens also for my council members that um through budget proceedings this year I am going to lead with uh an eye on decorum. So um going to ask that we follow Robert's rules around decorum and that everyone engages respectfully that there's no name calling. I will not allow swearing um in here. I will stop the meeting and ask you to regain composure uh and then continue the meeting on. So, um, that goes I would ask the same of the public, but uh, yes. Uh, okay. So, if we have anybody in for public comment, Ella Condan. Hi. Um, Ella Condan, precinct 6. Um, I know the budget is being considered and I just wanted to give comment that I'm really disappointed that the rec department
003got such a huge budget cut. Um, I'm really hoping that the recck room position can still be kept even though it's looking like that is not where the mayor is headed. Um, and just very disappointed that the police department is still, as far as I know, it's the top three funded department. And I know they got not the biggest increase in budget this year, but still nonetheless a pretty big budget increase. And I don't really think they deserve it. And I will end my time with that. >> Thank you. Oh, Dominic, did you want to comment or were you telling us that you're recording? >> No, thank you. Okay. >> Is there anyone else online who would like to give public comment? You can unmute and say your name and location. Okay, great. We will
004move forward. Oh, we had someone. Oh, Stacy's entering the waiting. Um, Stacy, I know you just arrived and we were just wrapping up public comment, but I want to give you uh the opportunity to give public comment if you want to. Thank you for that. Um I think that I am just here to hear the presentation. Uh appreciating everyone for getting the budget together and in. Um and I think maybe if I only had one comment, I would just encourage the budget to to make its way to the city's website sooner rather than later. The proposed >> Oh, yes. >> Yeah. Um, for those that are looking for the budget, it is in if you go to the calendar for the city and you click on the ways and means meeting um, and then you
005click into the agenda, then you can click the budget. But I do believe that this evening it was updated onto the landing page for the city budget. Um, but it is now there. >> Great. Thank you. >> Yeah. Thank you. Okay, great. That does it. All right, so for tonight's meeting, we are mainly discussing the operating budget and um uh sorry, the capital budget and we do have the mayor and finance director here to do a presentation of our operating budget as well. Uh so we are going to try to go through these orders as best we can. Uh these are all things that we have now been discussed twice. Um but we do have um the DPW director here to answer any questions should any arise. Uh okay, great. Yeah, we have no public
006hearings. Just make sure I'm on the first one. So, order number FY26-090, the city council upon recommendation of mayor disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves the borrowing of $130,000 for the reclamation and paving of Abberombi Drive, which is unrecognized by chapter 90 as part of the capital budget for FY 2027. I need Yeah. Okay. And then we can have a discussion. >> And if we don't need a discussion, that's fine, too. We had Max. Oh, Max, you're giving me a You're giving me a first. So, then I need a second. Second. Great. No discussion. All in favor? Order number FY26-091. The city council upon recommendation of Mayor Disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of $15,000 for the replacement of the gutters at the
007Academy of Early Learning as part of the capital budget for FY2027. Funding will be from the C capital stabilization account number 8402 with a balance of $819,495.37. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? Order number FY26-092. The city council upon recommendation of mayor disorder, the city council moves that the transfer of 36,000 for the resurfacing of the basketball court at the swimming area as part of the capital budget for FY2027 funding will be from capital stabilization path number8402 with a balance of $819,495.37. Any discussion? All in favor? Order number FY26-093. The city council upon recommendation of mayor disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of $25,000 from for the purchase of a Chevrolet Equinox to replace car number 10 as part of the capital budget for FY2027. funding
008will be from retained earnings from of the Greenfield Sewer Department. >> Any discussion? >> All in favor? >> Order number FY26-094. The city council upon recommendation of mayor disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves the borrowing of $100,000 across connection survey for the Greenfield water department as part of the capital budget FY2027. Any discussion? >> That's it. >> By DP that we have a contract to one of the businesses. There was no legal hookups to like our water system that could water in our system contaminating our water system. >> Any other discussion? All in favor? Order number FY26-095. The city council upon recommendation of Mayor Disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of $317,000 for the purchase of dump truck number 40 for the Greenfield
009Water Department as part of the capital budget for FY2027. Funding will be from the retained earnings of the Greenfield Water Department. Second. >> Any discussion? >> Yeah. Why would the water department need a dump truck? I'm just curious. >> Watering brakes and they do water repairs. Watering repairs. They'll take up the road. They'll put the materials in the dump truck. >> Okay. Good. Thank you. And all of these trucks are okay. And lot the other ones we're talking about were also in horrible shape, right? Everything was >> re really near the end of life or way beyond. >> I know one of the trucks was from 87. >> Yes. >> Oh. >> So we're talking. >> That's a good >> All these were Yeah. >> Okay. All in favor? Order number FY26-096. The city council
010upon recommendation of mayor disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of $70,000 for Green River pump station door window and heat update as part of the capital budget for FY27. Funding will be from the retained earnings for the Greenfield Water Department. Second. Any discussion on this one? All in favor? >> What was the answer about the water department needing a dump truck? >> Um, the water department needs a dump truck for when they're doing when there's like water main breaks. It also plows. It's used to move things around. Um, we can Yeah. Okay. Sorry. 096. We were on $70,000 for the Green River pump station door. Um, I think uh I had a first and a second. Any discussion on this one? All in favor? Okay. Uh, order number
011FY26-097, the city council fund recommendation of May order. Move that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of 40,000 for guardrail replacement as part of the capital budget for FY27. Funding will be from the capital stabilization account number8402 with a balance of $819,495.37. Any discussion? All in favor? >> Order number FY26-098. The city council upon recommendation of mayor disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves $200,000 for the highway fund as part of the capital budget for FY27. Funding will be from the capital stabilization account number8402 with a balance of $819,00049 $819,495.37. >> Any discussion? Anything more specific about where this funding is going? It's the highway. >> Highway funding. Oh, >> well, I think isn't this is it chapter 90? That's >> and uh like that doesn't keep
012up. The state funding never keeps up. So, we every year have I think every budget cycle puts some into additional >> Yeah, we're required I think to put a >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> And it's our highways, not the highways that are funded by like DOT. >> The roads down at count number 842. Okay. >> I was like do trying to keep the math in my head. >> Yes. This is actually >> Hopefully you're keeping the math in not in your head. >> Um okay. Any other discussion on 09098? All in favor? >> Order number FY26-099. The city council upon recommendation of mayor disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of 158,000 for the replacement of highway truck number 45 as part of the capital budget for FY27. Funding
013will be from the capital stabilization account number 8402 with a balance of $819,495.37. >> Second. Any discussion on this one? >> That kind of money. >> So the people, do you want to sit here just so the mic will pick you up? Here we go. Maybe you could repeat that. What kind of truck are we talking about? >> It's a one ton dump that is usually out like pulling the patch trailer for patch and potholes. Uh hollow materials. It plows. It's a year round truck. >> Okay. >> For the highway department. >> That's what they cost, huh? >> Yeah. >> Wow. >> Yeah. Well, they're getting it outfitted with a a dump body with a plow. So, >> okay. Thank you. Any other discussion? All in favor? >> Order number FY26-100. The city council recommendation
014of mayor disorder. This move that it be ordered that the city council approves the borrowing of 600,000 for repairs to the inflow and infiltration system as part of the capital budget for FY27. Funding will be from the retained earnings of the Greenfield sewer department. So >> second. Any discussion on this one? All in favor? FY26-101. The city council upon recommendation of mayor disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of $35,000 relocation of the line silo ladder to Adams Tower as part of the capital budget FY27. Funding will be from the retained earnings of the Greenfield Water Department. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> All in favor? Order number FY26-102. The city council upon recommendation of Mayor Disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer
015of $45,000 from the re for the rehabilitation of Milbrook well number two as part of the capital budget for FY 2027. Funding will be from the retained earnings of the Greenfield Water Department. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Yes. What is the Milbrook well number two? >> It's one of the wells that it's out in the Milbrook uh pump station they call it. And the well has gotten to the point where the water levels aren't coming back like they should. So every so often the well has to be re rehabbed to get the the water numbers >> to keep the water flowing. >> Yes. >> Okay. Very good. Thank you. >> Any other discussion? All in favor? Order number FY26-103. The city council upon recommendation or mayor disorder move that it be
016ordered that the city council approves the transfer of $150,000 for the engineering and design for the redevelopment of Milbrook wall number one as part of the capital budget for FY27. Funding will be from the retained earnings of the Greenfield Water Department. So move second. Any discussion? All in favor? I. >> Order number FY26-104. The city council upon recommendation of mayor disorder. Move that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of $100,000 for the engineering for the nitrogen removal as part of the capital budget for FY7. Funding will be from the retained earnings of the Greenfield sewer department. So move. Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? Never done this. We have so many votes that I don't have enough spots on the grid. Oh, we have a second page. >> Don't worry,
017guys. We can't go home yet. Um FY26-105. Yeah, 105. The city council upon recommendation of mayor disorder moved that be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of $65,000 for the Oakhill building wiring update as part of the capital budget for FY27. Funding will be from the retained earnings of the Greenfield Water Department. >> So second >> any discussion all those in favor? Order number FY26-106. The city council on recommendation of mayor disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves the borrowing of $85,000 for the Oakhill flow valves and structure as part of the capital budget for FY 2027. >> So second >> discussion. All those in favor? Order number FY26-107. The city council upon recommendation may disorder moves that it be ordered that the city council approves the borrowing of
018$700,000 for the police terrace water main replacement as part of the capital budget for FY27. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor? Order number FY26-108. The city council upon recommendation of Mayor Disorder moves that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of $50,000 for the press supervisory control and data acquisition system development as part of the capital budget for FY27 funding will be from the return retained earnings of the Greenfield Sewer Department. >> So second >> any discussion? >> Yes. Could you explain what this is? That's the new uh press, the the uh sludge press down at the treatment plant. >> Um it's to give us the ability to monitor the the how the press is functioning 24 hours a day. If we don't, they don't have
019to have somebody there overnight watching this how it's functioning. >> That's safe. >> Okay. Thank you. Any other discussion? All those in favor? Order number FY26-109. The city council upon recommendation of mayor disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of 90,000 to purchase a board F250 with a low for the Greenfield public schools as part of the capital for FY27. Funding will be from the high school building account number 4312 with a balance of $166,000 $166,549. No move. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Oh, it's a plow. I was It doesn't say plow. It says low. >> With a plow. >> Oh, >> with a plow. I was like, what's a low? >> It's some truck thing. Sad. >> Oh, okay. >> Okay. We're going to make we're going to
020amend that to say plow by the time it gets to full counsel. Um, any discussion on this one? All in favor? That was 109. 110. FY26-110. The city council upon recommendation of Mayor Disorder move that it be ordered that the city council approves $200,000 for the sidewalk replacement program as part of the capital budget for FY27. Funding will be from the capital stabilization account number 8402 with a balance of 800 $819,495.37. >> Second. Following discussion all those in favor 111 FY26-11 the city council upon recommendation of mayor disorder move that the city council approves the transfer of 50,000 for track maintenance at Greenfield High School as part of the capital budget for FY27. Funding will be from the high school building account number 4312 with a balance of $166,549. >> So second any discussion? All
021in favor? >> I do have a question. Sorry. Where does funding from for the high school building account come from? >> Yeah. >> There's 135,000 left in high school building >> the high the bond. Gotcha. Oh, from the back end. Any other questions? All in favor? FY26-112. The city council upon recommendation of Mayor Disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of $40,000 for the remodeling of the bathroom at the transfer station as part of the capital budget for FY27. Funding will be from capital stabilization account8402 with a balance of $819,495.37. >> So >> any discussion >> $40,000. >> Okay. So the the bathroom at the transfer station consists of a toilet, >> right? But we have to take the walls down because we've had rat problem for a few
022years now and they've gotten in behind everything and and chewed up all the insulation. >> Good. Thank you. >> Got it. >> Rats are poop. >> Yeah. >> All right. Thank you. It's taking us >> any Yeah. Any other questions? All in favor? >> Yes. FY26-113 the city council upon recommendation mayor disorder move that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of $80,000 for the replacement of the break room at the transfer station as part of the capital budget for FY27 funding will be from capital stabilization account number8402 with a balance of $819,495.37. >> So second >> any discussion? All in favor? Order number FY26-114. The city council upon recommendation of mayor disorder moved that it be ordered that the city council approves the borrowing of $370,000 for the replacement of trash
023truck number 197. >> So second. >> Any discussion? Yeah. Question. Uh didn't we just replace all the trash trucks? No, >> no, >> those are all the recycle trucks. >> The recycle trucks. So, this is the trash. Okay. Thank you. >> Y >> my confusion. >> Any other discussion? All in favor? >> Order number FY26-115. The city council upon recommendation or may disorder move that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of $80,000 for the water system modeling update as part of the capital budget for FY2027. Funding will be from the retained earnings of the Greenfield Water Department. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> Order number FY26-116. The city council upon recommendation of mayor disorder move that it be ordered that the city council approves the
024transfer of $100,000 of for electrical upgrades to the water pollution control plant as part of the capital budget for FY27. funding will be from the retained earnings of the Greenfield Sewer Department. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> Order number FY26-117. The city council upon recommendation of Mayor Disorder move that it be ordered that the city council approves the transfer of $315,000 further replacement of screen number one at the water pollution control plant as part of the capital budget for FY27. Funding will be from retained earnings of the Greenfield sewer department. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> Oh, that's it. We don't have an 18. Wow. That's good, guys. >> Um, okay. Thank you so much for being here, Paul. We appreciate it. >> We have a
025capital budget. It's exciting. >> Okay. Um, great. And so I'll just invite both of you want to join us at the table and Great. So we will start wherever you want to start. >> Quick presentation. >> Great. >> If you want to make me the host, that would be fantastic. Go to participants. >> Here we go. >> I'm the host now. Excellent. There we go. Okay. Okay. So, we have a budget and uh the budget came out pretty well. uh you know considering all the anxiety we had early on uh mostly due to health insurance say probably around uh 1.7 million of a potential increase on health insurance uh next year and that's only on a half year too. So next year we're looking to save some more on that. Uh so that is a
026good thing for us. So let's kind of go through uh what we have here. So the first slide is kind of our budget recap sheet and this is when you look at your budget and this should be on the first uh couple pages of your budget book >> 27 page 27 if you want to follow along there. Um and this recaps everything about our budget. So the first lines are okay what is our budget? Uh we have an operating budget plus the exempt desk debt service which basically is what people um are being taxed above and beyond what the regular tax rate on and that is for the high school. Uh so when the referendum passed and everyone said yes we add to our tax bill in order to pay for this high school that's
027what that represents uh every year. Uh so our total budget for this year is 70 million 024736. Uh the next piece of this is uh additional monies that need to be raised uh throughout the year. Uh so you'll see a big decrease in overlay accounts. Uh we have been carrying too much money in our overlay account and we do have a significant balance in our overlay account. Um we are fairly frugal uh with giving abatements uh things like that. So uh that $400,000 in the past plus has never been met. Uh so now it's time to go ahead and revise that down. Uh that helps because that's not money that we need to be raising uh for next year. Our snow and ice last year went into the negative of 42,000. So we have to
028raise uh that amount. We have state assessments. They come from the charity sheet. We also have state qualified debt. Uh state qualified debt is there's two types of debt that we issued. One is just on the regular open market US bank. They go out, they raise the money. And then we have um state house loans uh which then the state says, "Okay, cities and towns, we're going to bundle all of your debt together. Go out on a big big uh bonding issue for this." So we get a better rate. We get the benefit of the entire state doing it doing that. So that's our uh state qualified debt. Uh two big increases this year. uh school choice sending as well as charter school sending. Um and we'll see that a little bit later in a
029couple slides, but um that is that's a big increase and generally is a fairly large increase every year. So that is a significant amount of money that goes right off the top. Uh so we're talking on the order of two five 6.1 million. um that goes out to uh choice and charter schools uh right off the top. So that's you know that is a big bill that we have to pay. Um the next part are our receipts or estimated receipts because we don't know what these are going to be uh for the next year. Uh and neither does state really. They're they're good about saying that this is what you're going to get and this is what general get, but there's some here that don't. Um, so cherry sheet receipts are 21.8 million. Our sewer
030enterprise indirect cost. So those are the folks that are paid out of the sewer enterprise account. Um, and that's their fringe benefits. So what we do is they are paid out of the sewer enterprise and then the sewer enterprise will give us back money to help pay for the fringe benefits which are in the budget. That's health insurance, that's Medicare, Medicare tax, things like that. Uh same thing for the water and same thing for G set. Uh local estimated receipts of 4.8 million that is um if you look on the next page uh there you'll see local estimated receipts of about 5.1 million. So this is under budget. We always are because we don't know what they're from year to year. Um and then we have the pay as your ed as you throw fee
031and parking meter receipts uh which make up our uh estimated local receipts. Uh this year we're planning on using about 200,000 out of pension stabilization uh to help balance the bud budget. And then we get to our amount to be raised. So that's our our costs which is our total budget uh plus the other amounts to be raised minus the estimated receipts. So that gives us our levy amount to be raised based upon our total city value. We're estimating a $20 tax rate which that is high. It always comes in lower because when it goes to uh the do they go to all sort of permutations and then they find money in different places. So that that's a little bit high but that's just an estimate per um and then the bottom is the levy
032limit levy limit calculation. So we are allowed to levy for 45 billion plus uh 2 and a half increase plus new growth. Um the assessor's office is doing a great job uh finding um properties that haven't been updated in quite a while. uh and so that our growth is a little more than it normally is. So that's a good thing. And then we add in the excluded 2 and a half uh and that equals the 48220981 from the previous line. So we have a balanced budget basically um at the end of August. >> So we have no levy capacity >> uh >> levy capacity in this year. So over the overall ledging capacity there still is some. >> Okay. >> You explain the difference between those. >> Oh okay. So um basically for this year
033we take our uh amount to be raised and our total budget. So there's no room in there. But over the years we've built up levy capacity. So what we've taxed and what we're allowed to. So there's a gap in between uh those two. Um, do these dashes mean we have no free cash this year or it's still not certified? >> It's we're waiting for that to be certified. We're we have uh we have gone through a tremendous amount of of hardship to get that certified. Um, we have an auditor come in and he has found some issues that date back to 2016 2017. Um, one was a $3 million balance that had been carried over from year to year. Um, that we do not know the location of that. We don't know why it was
034there and what has been done uh for those. So, we we have uh cleaned up. We have several accounts that haven't been zeroed out from as far back as 2014 2015. So, we are we have cleaned all that up. But then how did we get free cash certified in previous years? >> Because the goal was to get free cash and without worrying about the issues of the past. >> So like the books were balanced then even though they weren't. >> Yes. >> Why is this coming up now? >> Because we're looking at it very closely. >> So I brought it in. >> Yeah. We there that dig >> a deep dig. Yes. >> Yep. There it is. >> Is that the same auditor that we've had though? Because we pay like was it 40 60,000
035I can't remember a year for an auditor? >> And wouldn't they wouldn't they catch that? Um >> like what I'm just curious when we pay that much money. >> Yeah, they they should catch it. Um, right now we have the uh founder of the firm uh Jim Powers of Towers and Sullivan looking at it. And so honestly there's no better person in the state to be looking at this. Um he has retired. He sold the firm so he does this kind of freelance uh now and um you know it was his firm but he you know and auditors will tell you oh it's just a snapshot in time. We can't find everything but you know those things have existed. >> So the three million is what we owe somebody that or >> it is it
036was a carried over on the books from year to year and there was no um it was a error in a journal entry several years ago that had never been rectified. >> Right. So it financially doesn't mean anything. >> Exactly. >> Got it. >> Exactly. So, does any of the cleaning up affect our free cash aside from delay? The >> besides from handing in a sheet that to the do that we are confident this is the final number. Um, no. >> But, but there things that needed to be cleaned up. >> And I'm sorry if you already said this, but and is there an estimate now for when free cash will be handed into? this Thursday. He's coming in to go ahead and uh and clean up, help with the journal entries and get get
037that all finished. >> 57. Okay, that is helpful information. >> Okay, so this is the revenue recap. Um and so uh the total and rear re real property uh that is what we expect to raise uh plus our local receipts and I mentioned uh 4.8 million as a total local receipts. Here's the 5.1 million uh for this year. So there is some room there but we don't know what the growing could come in as. >> Excuse me. Where where are you on the sheet? Just tell me where. total total local receipts. >> Thank you. >> Yep. Sure. >> Um so these encompass a lot of things. These are motor vehicle uh interests, services, fees, rentals, licenses, uh or Medicaid reimbursement um and then some miscellaneous reoccurring which um basically is the veterans reimbursement plus plus
038a little bit more on that. Uh so there are total local receipts. Uh the bottom is the state cherry sheets. So this is what we're we are going to receive from the states uh from the state and this is based upon the governor's budget uh which may change, >> right? So like the Senate just passed. So will these local receipts will be will potentially be affected by like if there is more well there was more unrestricted government aid that was approved. So we could potentially see a little bit of an increase. >> Yes. >> Okay. And similarly with the um with the like school uh state aid >> with the rural there was like an increase to rural funding. So that potentially that would be a pass through that would increase this at some point
039in 27. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's, you know, it we usually go with the governor's budget because that's the most conservative and then it somehow it shakes out at the end, but there's a long deliberation period. You know, as you know, in some years we didn't receive the final numbers until after July. >> Yeah. >> So, >> um Yeah. Is >> there a reason we don't get much in state land? >> Um that I don't know. uh possibly we don't have a lot of stain on land but I I don't know the answer to that >> other part >> uh the next uh pieces are the uh inter intergovernmental transfers which is the indirect costs basically which you talked about just a few minutes ago. Um the next section are the receipts reserved which are the
040um kind of the excess um receipts that we have and those generally are the parking meters, the stabilization uh pension and free cash and then finally uh the tuitions uh school lunch uh offset as well as library offset. So you this format's been uh around for a while. Um so this could be arranged in a lot of different ways. This is just kind of the arrangement that we have uh right now. And changing it I think would um create more questions than uh it's worth because it's all the same information. Okay. So on the next page here, okay, this is uh for the our total budget, this is the budget recap changes as well as revenue changes. Um as you can see, school choice sending is up 409,000. This is just a summary of of
041what was going on on those couple pages there. Uh the charter school sending tuition uh up 287. And I can send this uh slideshow to you after this done. Yeah. uh snow and ice um 42 state assessments up 3,000 uh and the increases are partially offset by our current year overlay needed. So our overlay went down, our state qualified debt went down uh as well as our cherry sheets. Um and then this is a revenue side over here. Our cherry sheet receipts went up 465,000. Our local estimated receipts up 283. Uh indirects up just a little bit, 34 and 75. And parking meter, uh we are more conservative. Uh frankly, we've been over budgeting in that area. Uh as well as water enterprise indirects, um that went uh down by 55,000. The next >> Sorry.
042And so when you say those went down, the change is the estimated >> Yes. >> change >> from 26 to 27. >> Yes. Okay. Thank you. Could you explain the overlay? >> Oh, the overlay. Yeah. That is um we set aside money for uh for folks that are property assessments. Um, and then if they have a an abatement or there's a senior tax write off or things like that. And what we've been doing is we've been carrying a $400,000 balance on that for quite a number of years, but not spending that much. So there's a significant balance in that account. And so that overlay account is additional money that would need to be raised uh for that year. So if we bring that down, that kind of helps us uh meet our obligation. Uh, and
043there's no reason to keep it that high. Um, >> so if we're raising 400,000 each year, but we're not spending that, >> what happens at the end of each year to that excess? >> It goes into a bank, >> but we still keep that money. >> Yeah, it's it's with us. Yeah. >> Okay, cool. >> So then do we need to raise an ops an overlay account this year at all? >> We should have a little bit. Yes. Yeah. Do comes up with a number. Got it. >> And so we have to meet that minimum number. And what we've been doing is exceeding that number. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> And we just like hold that as a like potential liability. Like if we Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah. Just say, you know, the city council
044decides we're going to give everyone a $200 tax rebate. So that's where the money would come from. >> Make a motion. >> Richmond's doing it. 1,200 to anyone who's cost burdened. >> Yeah. Thank you. Um the I had a question about the parking meter receipts. >> Mhm. >> I I guess I want I don't know what my question is, but we hired a second parking enforcement officer. >> Is that like how does that factor into the overbudgeting and underbudgeting? >> So um over the years we've budgeted around 300 to 350 u which has been over. So, this is another one of those little tricks where, okay, if we need another 50,000, we'll add it to parking meter receipts. Um, so it's been too high. >> That's what we're estimating that we're getting. >> Yeah. Our
045our revenue is about 250 a year. >> And so, even adding the second position, we're not getting more. Does this parking meter also take in the parking tickets or >> um I just want to say on that it I checked it is down this year and a big part of that had to do with snow because it was much harder the for people to get to the parking meters because of snow. So we don't you know we don't we don't get the parking meter receipt and we don't ticket people on that. So, um, I checked and it was down. So, we couldn't possibly hit it with 350, >> but like so we spend 125ish or something on parking, but then we potentially taken 250. So, okay. So, I think it actually is a little bit
046more than that. we take in that there's money for tickets, there's money for parking tickets. I asked the same question myself when I was sitting in your spot. Not entirely worth it because if there's one thing that kind of ticks people off, it's >> getting a parking ticket. They don't like it. And can I tell you, I would be like so happy if we didn't do that. But I don't own a business downtown. And what they find like on Saturday there is no parking on Saturday and all of the in the parking study that they did on Saturday all the people are parked on Main Street. So, um, our local business owners, it it is would be very unhappy if that, um, went away. And I understand that people hate paying park, you know, parking
047and but it is a plus and minus with that. >> Why would it Sorry, go ahead. >> Is it beneficial to have the second like ticket person if we're not raising enough if we're not raising our goal anyways? So, um, like I said, this year, this year the number, the real reason that it's down is because of all the snow that we had. Um, so, um, who processes the payments for the parking? So, that goes through the treasurer's office through this thing called passport, and they do the tickets there, too. >> So, there's like some percentage of the treasur's office time is used to process. >> Yes. And this year, um, Derek Healey, when he was the city councelor last year, um, the city council all voted on putting $50,000 of parking meter money >>
048y >> towards, um, I don't know what the name of fund was, but I'll just say some of the helping the downtown >> um that blooming green field in conjunction with um, a GBA. There's all those people that put out um the the buckets out the buckets out in front of um many businesses that are filled with flowers. You see them already. Um and I just heard the polling clean. was thinking of I don't know if they're going to do this, but using 3,000 or so of that parking meter money to to purchase a golf cart so that people can water the flowers because so it's it's being used for the downtown where people are being taxed for the downtown. It's used for the beautifification of that. I think you probably noticed the flowers just
049in the past two years. So overall uh these are our big expenses for for the we got for FY27 choice and charter that's a big one that's very expensive and it goes up significantly each year uh retirement costs uh health insurance uh it went up by a little but it did not go up as much as it could have which is excellent. uh contract salaries. That's a bulk of our expense increases every single year. Both school side and city side. It's the people um and their contract salaries. Uh departmental expenses increased by 607,000 or 1.3%. Um and the departmental budgets were shaved down from two from a $2.4 $4 million uh ask uh to the mayor's final budget number. So, a lot of work was put in in order to be able to bring this
050down to a level that makes sense, preserve services and public. Um so, finally, uh these this is the uh changes as well as percentage. So, choice and charter up 13%, health employee insurance up 5%. Um, the thing about the health insurance, uh, that could be less, but we don't know what it's going to be because everyone is going to reenroll in January 1 into the GIC program. Um, the GIC is much cheaper than what we have. So we could see some people bringing their going from a single plan to a family plan which is a little more or going from an HMO to a PO uh things like that. So this is kind of a a feelout year on what's going to happen. A school budget of 450 uh contributo retirement up 393. Uh DPW
051that's all services in the DPW. Could you explain the retirement again? >> Uh sure. So, uh, we have the Greenfield Retirement, uh, Board. Um, so they provide they're part of the PIR Act, which is state retirement system. Uh, they're all entitled to the, you know, state retirement. Uh, however, um, the local board funds the um future costs on an actuarial basis. Uh, so every year we're assessed a certain amount of money. Um, and it's, you know, it's a significant amount of money. several million dollars uh for retirement. So that covers our current retirement retirees plus puts money into the actuarial fund in order to go ahead and fund the people who will retire in the future. And it goes up quite a bit a year. You know, people live longer, they live into their 90s.
052So, you know, and if you retire at 60 or or say a police officer or fireman, they retire at 55, they live to 95, that's 40 years of retirement benefit that they're getting. So, it's it's those costs are going up. Um, DPW, that's everything in the DPW. um they were mostly hit with um cost increases that are beyond their control in a lot of situations. Uh police uh 171 liability insurance 101 that looks like a lot. >> Can you go back just DPW um can you just talk about for a second about like what the increases were that were beyond their control? Well, I can do a little bit of that. We added we had to add people somebody >> because of the D order. One person at the transport station. We had the rat
053issue. >> Yeah. >> Um we needed for uh water for the one person added to water and that was needed because I can't tell you deregulation because of that. Um in addition like their service department all things on vehicles um is up almost double >> right the service department is not >> service department is four people in it the service that they do for the cars is >> practically double um and um you know we were working with their wages as well because although in some departments we have people leaving other towns to come to our city for DPW. People were leaving from our department to go to other municipalities. And we are doing things. We're in the middle of negotiations now, but we're we're doing things to assure that we can fill all of
054our positions so that the next town over is not getting our people. >> Great. >> Yeah. It was the I think you joged my memory that when I looked it's the service department that um like in my brain that's in capital even though it's not. >> And then can you do the same thing for police? So the one the 4.17% >> um I can say on that one this is the last chief like >> we had that cops grant for three years. So 125 >> there was a cops grant when um councelor Bulock and I were on council together then we get the three police officers and every year we were paying you know we had three police officers is and after three years that um wonderful benefit >> it was to increase police staffing
055and so we um I did and I voted against it but Um, the council agreed to accept the grant which they gave us I think it was 600,000 total. I'm really might I might be totally off numbers but I believe it was 200,000 a year for three years and then after that we had to absorb that cost. So that's what most of that is because that's done. >> This is the first year after the grant. >> Yep. Um, so I know that historically police has been covering the cost of dispatch and dispatch is now its own section of the budget. >> No, actually dispatch has been separate. It's up at the police station, but they've had a separate budget uh for as long as I can remember. We always had a dispatch budget. I guess
056Dodge has been saying that police have always been covering. >> Well, they cover they're in they're in the same facility, but it's always been a separate line item in the budget. I can I'm happy to show you that they've >> Yeah, it's always been broken out this way. >> It's always been broken out that way. I uh you know they supplies supply. >> What is Dodge referring to that they're paying out of pocket for dispatch? >> I think um things like uh their maybe their office supplies when um they redid some of the things up there. I think they've took care of maybe a couple of some some office supplies items, but their budget is paid by their salaries, wages, and um longevity and a few expenses that are in there. Um I like in
057city hall, my budget, the mayor's budget, we cover all of those. And if someone ran out of toner, you know, we would I would absorb that. But we had enough It just sounded like in the capital planning meeting, I think it was, Dodge was very adamant that they were paying a lot for dispatch and that he was specifically separating it out of the police budget. >> And so, is that reflected in this increase? >> No. Some of in the 171 >> Yeah. I feel like wouldn't it be a higher percentage increase if you're taking dispatch out of the picture? There's a separate a whole separate budget for dispatch. So, let me just look and compare to anything that was last year. Does Jeff have capital requests to see the number else web I can get
058a specific answer from Chief Dodge for you about what things are being absorbed. I know we talked about some of the office supplies. I did not think that was an astronomical amount last year. You can see their budget. Well, and they do have a significant dispatch has a significantly higher expense line this year than they did. >> There's 189% increase for expenses. >> So, actually, if you look on page 111, is one of the ones that kind of confusing. We did our best to make it transparent in anyone who's getting grammar. So if you look at page 111, you see the departmental request and then you see the mayor's adjustment, which was a staffing reduction of one person. Over on the right is what is actually going to come from the general fund. The general
059fund total is going to be 727 726. Um, almost every municipality receives 911 grant money and the way that the chief broke it out was, you know, per person. >> I guess that still doesn't answer why dispatch still has 189% increase in expenses and there's still a police budget increase. Well, they're covering if you look at like their office supplies, equipment replacement, um those are that's $10,000 right there. And if you look at last year's budget was a total of 5,000. So there is some expenses that are now being either appropriately build to dispatch. There's some change there which um next week we next week we have the public safety and uh aspect. So I wouldn't have put Okay, I'm just going to say this. Last year the departmental budget for dispatch was 740 9008.
060Okay, this year what we're going to be paying is 727 726. I wouldn't I think I might have put something different in the graph. what this what the taxpayers are paying is the number that put in there's uh I think it's $121,000 in grant money that's going to be coming. So we're not going to charge taxpayers for that. We didn't last year. So actually looking at the difference one to the other. I don't see that. And I can get last year's budget book just to >> any I'm not saying like dispatch deserves like I'm not take it away but then 189% like that should be out of the police budget then too like >> so it should be a bigger increase >> right like if police were covering the expenses for dispatch >> to that
061level >> it wouldn't be it wouldn't beus no it wouldn't be 187 7% decrease because the police budget is a higher amount. >> But whatever this amount is should have come out of the police budget, >> right? Which I think it's like $10,000. >> So was that $10,000 reflected in that difference percentage? >> I think the mayor. >> Well, again, this is why we meet with all the department heads. This is exactly what we would ask. >> Yeah. So this is next week. >> Yes. Exact. That's exactly. get come with your question. >> Yep. No, and that's usually we look at the big differences, the overages, the under, you know, because you see that big number at 189. What? >> But but that would probably be I mean they should have hopefully have a really
062good idea why that is there. >> Yeah. >> Well, yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. just last year. >> I It It went uh Hold on a second. >> You need to be Do you want to be unhosted? >> No, I I it uh it blanked out on me for a second here. There we go. >> Um okay. Is there any other questions about like overarching how the budget operating budget was created? I don't want us to go in the worm of line items. Um, I want to save that wormhole for its appropriate night. Um, Ben, I'm really excited to go down the wormhole with you. Um, I'd like to say something about some of the decisions that are made. Um, we had a lot of things that happened at the library this year about safety concerns.
063Um and um they'd had I think everybody I think I mentioned this the last meeting they had um just a lot of folks with mental health issues. They'd had um somebody in with an axe, a knife, an assault, blah blah blah. So I made a like each one of the decisions is weigh that a little bit. So I decided to leave all the staff and make no cuts there. Um, and then I went and looked at to to decrease their expenses. At first I had a decrease there of $20,000, but if if I did that, they wouldn't get funding through the um Massachusetts board of libraries. So each one was looked at thoroughly for where to make reductions, but it couldn't be done this year without making reductions in staffing. last the years before mostly
064it was mostly income expenses which would down to the bone where people would actually be looking for money for children. >> Um we got to talk about the recck room position. >> Oh sure. Well, c can we talk about all the can we um know what positions as a as a whole were not included like how many um >> yeah roles were were eliminated? >> Can I actually just ask a quick question about the health insurance so far we >> Yes. Yes. >> Just to clarify we because of entering the GIC we went from 19% to only 5% in >> That's correct. first. Yes, that's correct. Just wanted to >> That's a win, guys. >> And and everybody worked together to get that done. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> So that's wonderful.
065Very still after get all those last things in which we'll do after today. So overall um and I for many of the thing and many of the places where we made reductions I looked at other municipalities same size um not in every instance but for six or seven budgets I looked at 12 or 13 communities actually had somebody else do that that was roughly the same size most per capita income but I couldn't get there without making some significant cuts of positions that also saves because every employee that you have there's $30,000 worth of benefits that go with it. So I add that in my mind to get to a reduction of a million. Um there was a reduction of a firefighter, a police officer, a dispatch, a part-time person in recreation, I know a
066part-time person in clerical um for the fire department, a coalition on aging, uh a part-time reduction in the person in finance, it had four people. He was just about to hire his fourth and I told him he had to hold that which I truly wanted us to have four people in the IT department. Um the reduction in recreation energy the energy director in order to save the halftime position kept her own hours. um mayor's office um communication was just was cut cut hours, you know, just a point one, but um people were really good. They knew that we were hurting across the board and there really wasn't enough. um in a in instances where there were revolving funds which we never got really a chance to talk about um uh some of the reductions in
067the fire department I added to the ambulance revolving account if you're revolving you'll probably see on page I think you should actually take a look at that um on page 39 >> sorry can I ask a question about these role reductions first is it and So, of those role reductions, um, you said they didn't hire one in in it. Is there any others that were unfilled? Police and fire right now are unfilled, but they >> So, those weren't um those were not people losing their jobs. Those are unfilled positions. >> But can I You did put a freeze though. >> Yeah. >> Significant freeze to stop positions from being hired. That's correct. That very reason, right? Um we would have no trouble having we had those positions filled. They they people come to our people
068come to our towns and we have good we have good benefits but they will come to our towns for police and fire. Do >> you anticipate okaying any police or fire hirings this year? >> No, I'm not anticipating that at this point. We're anticipating the reductions that we have. Um we moved one person from um the regular fire department budget to the ambulance revolving. But still, no matter what the graph says, there is a reduction overall one firefighter. the end. I will just say this as far as public safety goes right after I, you know, finish making those things and if I'm making a reduction, I get the people's budget and then I have to individually talk to each department head, which is absolutely no fun, to tell them what's happening in their department. And
069shortly thereafter when that was finalized, I thought we had the brush fire, the stabbing, >> um, somebody into the police station, um, you know, grenades and yeah, and I thought there's a lot that happens here on the public safety front. So, um, and then, you know, that those three things all happen within a couple weeks and I'm like, it's very hard to make the decision of what to do. So, but um they weren't they I'd held off on them hiring thinking that I might have to do that. I thought our reductions were going to be twice that. And when I had different department heads come in, they actually uh thought that their that their reductions might be larger, but where possible, we moved things over to um a revolving, you know, over to a revolving
070fund. It was a $300,000 plus increase to the fire department. Um, but their ambulance revolving increased by I think $169,000, but they so I moved some of the expenses over to the revolving fund. Um, so sorry, just to go back, I just want to be sure that I'm correct here. So there's the firefighter, the police, and the IT were unfilled positions that you were able to claw back. The other ones are all positions that are being eliminated or was there any other unfilled positions like in dispatch, clerical, finance, those were all people are in those roles, right? Okay. Licensing, licensing the when somebody left in licensing, I just that was a 30-hour position. We now have somebody doing it. It's 12. >> Okay. So Lori left and then I filled that with the um 12
071I think I think Windows 12 hours each >> and then regarding the like being able to move things over to revolving. So, um, like with the recck room at position at our meeting a couple, maybe it was just a month or two ago, whenever that was, there was a conversation about that that could potentially be moved to revolving. Is did that conversation at a department level happen yet or is that just that position's off the table? I moved expenses to and I increased recreation the temporary salary and wages full-time 46 over the request 57,000 to 67,000 and in the afterchool wages I increase their um their wage line item 150 to $180,000. So, there's potentially room there for there to be a part-time >> Absolutely. Wack room. >> Yes. >> Okay. Could you tell us
072like if you were to just tomorrow be like, "Okay, we're funding this position." Like what is the total cost to the city of that >> of which of like the rec room position? >> Um probably $85,000. Um, okay. Any position that I talk about, I add $30,000 to because that's the other that's the cost that nobody sees. That's why we have an increase every year 500,000 or 450,000 retirement. >> Okay, that's help that is helpful. And obviously all of these we get to the budget um department itself will be able to go more in depth about >> okay any other question >> I have questions on I understand longterm debt but I still have questions about outstanding money that we haven't bonded for because that's never listed anywhere and but I think it's important for
073people to know how many millions of dollars we have that I don't I don't know even what that's called when money hangs out >> that's not put into the budget to start paying off on all of our loans for like the library, the fire station, the parking garage. >> Is that what you were talking about last time? Like you're moving the long term into the short term so we can start paying it. >> Yes. The opposite. >> The opposite. >> Yeah. Yeah. So there's I this is just off the top of my head. I want to say around $54 million of total potential debt out there. Um, and so most of it is under bond anticipation notes fans. And so that essentially creates a short-term lending position where that has to be renewed every every
074year or every couple years depending on what type of band it is. um that is in interest interest intensive. So essentially what we're doing is paying interest on those loans and a little bit of principal. Um and every year we have a principal payown uh on that. Like this year was about $700,000 of principal payown on on that. So what's happening >> on 54 million? >> Exactly. So >> like a little drop. >> It's a little drop. Exactly. So, but the problem is when you go to a long-term debt situation, you're paying a significant more amount of principal. Uh, so once you do that, you have to be prepared to up your debt service every single year. The catch is no one was prepared to up the debt service every single year because it's a
075struggle. Yep. >> And so if we can start shifting things very slowly to the long-term debt uh pile, it'll be better for us >> because you'll be paying more principle. >> Exactly. >> Okay. Thank you. >> It's very important though because a lot of that was not explained to us when we were voting on the fire station. >> Um so it cost us a tremendous amount. I mean that really affects you talk about wanting a rep position or a cop or anything else. We got 54 million sitting there and how many millions we pay in long-term debt now. It's huge, right? >> So, I mean, when we want things, it's just important to know there's already 54 million hanging out. So, when you talk about new schools, new whatever, new city hall, there's a lot
076of needs, but it it becomes crippling. We we can't actually afford to put that into our budget. We can't afford it. There's no way we could ever pay that. So, it's a little it's just frightening. And I think it's important to keep that in mind in the overall picture. >> So can I just the 54 we were paying a lot of interest and a little bit of principle and now we're shifting it the opposite way. >> No, that's still out there. We we will try to bond for some. >> Yeah. We'll try little tiny bits at a time. Can't afford it. Yeah. >> Can you give like what is the fiveyear plan of that look like? It's >> or like what a general like what does the future buy look like? >> I I kind
077of look at at it like trying to if you got it if you have a lot of credit card debt, you pay off the lowest balances first. So So that would be the best strategy to do. So we'd have to pay off um the lowest amount of outstanding debt first and then kind of ladder it up uh to have money. >> Is it all with bonds? Are they all at the same interest rate? Uh, no. It depends on when we go out and it depends on what the market will will pay us at the time >> because like the other financial thinking is you pay off the highest interest rate first. >> The the interest rates because we're backed by the taxpayers. It it it generally runs between three and 6%. So, it's not a
078huge >> better than any of us can get. So, so the interest rates aren't bad. And you know, even if it's a 6% on $10 million, that would be a greater shot than you know, a 3% at $440,000. >> So >> when you go out to bond for this 54 million, you're taking bite-sized chunks out of it. Is it like per line item thing? >> Exactly. Every single bond has a has a per per line item. Yeah. >> And our bond rating affects the interest rate. the bond rating affects the interest rate as well as you know the general interest climate um does and luckily we've been okay with um interest rates and rates are okay now um you know what's going to happen in a year from now >> I I never thought gas
079would be five bucks a gallon you know >> not Sure, this is the right question, but where where does this debt exist if it's not bonded for you? >> It it it exists in the the bands. the short term >> the okay >> you'll see in the book there's something about a short-term ban for 62,000 something that we're probably we paid bond proof for all that money >> is a bond anticipation >> choosing to pay it back but we weren't and so we were just paying interest back >> the best way to look at it is that we have $2.8 8 billion in taxable property here. So the state says well you can your credit limit is actually like 75% of that which is outrageous. You know we we we could never ever bond that
080much and right now we are our debt load is is high compared to this. >> Yeah. But I wanted to just show you a couple of the other costs saving things that we did for this yard. We passed those down there. Um this um uh I think it was probably about five, six years ago that uh a mayor had decided not for us not to pay the part of our insurance that covered injured on duty and the premium for injured on duty. Um, Stephen met with HR and they talked to Cabbitt and they're paying $27,000 here and adding that to our my insurance. But if you will look at this, you'll see what we've paid in the last five years for people who were injured on duty. That cut was a very expensive one. So
081that was one of the things caught by uh the finance team and we'll be paying. That's why you'll see an increase over what the ask was because during the time when the ask came in, Stephen decided that we should add that 27,000 which will >> look at the past year. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> And um our new treasury staff has done a fabulous job. I passed these down on outstanding sewer debt. I don't have six of these. So um but so they um they looked back over the past several years and um they sent out notices for outstanding debt. that was several years old. And you can see each year on this like this is for the actual that we had in sewer lean. So that was outstanding that was like 73,000 93,000 87,000
08268,000. Um and this year thus far we've collected 439,390 in outstanding sewer debt. And that was thanks to the folks that had come in because they sent out notices that went back several >> of people that just didn't play their water and soap. >> Oh yeah. When you when we >> Yes. >> the same I would suggest it but the same the same for water. But there you you earn it. You pay interest on it. You pay interest on it. But but they reminded everyone. They sent out notices. They looked at it. They've done a fabulous job. I just >> I felt like it's hard with the water. It comes like so like is this old? Did this already this is >> this is water and we're up to 319,000 so far this year. Um
083and that's because I'll make one for you afro. Sorry. Um, and that's because they were looking at what we'd always been doing and they said, "This isn't quite right." Um, also our collector, Jen, she went and took her like a full day to um file all the money. You know, you get those little notices. Your your city has outstanding money. And I said to Jen, I wonder what that is. And there were all these little bitty bits of amounts. And she spent a day doing that. And I think it was maybe I forget how many thousand was. five or it was between five and 12,000 which we sent over to the school for because we heard they needed the band needed shoes. But they've done a great think they need new boots. >> They've done
084a great job being very innovative and we did have a whole new team that they did a lot of good things thinking about different ways that we could do things >> and also I heard you talking about the intern program. I wanted you to know that we are having an intern from in finance um from the department of revenue. I think it was a meeting I was watching. >> I don't know what >> it was one of the meetings >> and I I want just brought this to say that we are having it you know the department of revenue had reached out to us and we will be having an intern um and we're just finalizing everything on that one I heard you talking about I just wanted to mention that because I thought I
085forget who was there but I watched sat and watched the media I said whenever possible they asked us last year but we weren't a position to do that. Um, but we're having so I just wanted to share those all those good things that um in spite of the the bad news with how much things cost, there are people that are there they they leave no stone unturned down there in the treasur's office. Pretty funny. >> Also, the assessors. >> The assessors. Oh yes. >> My god, they dug up all kinds of money, right? >> They they do a they do a great job. And you know, previously under other administrations, the abatement I know that I do know that assessments on people's property has gone up, but um they want everybody's to be where it
086should be. It's a kind of a shocker where if yours would have not adjusted to where it was. Mine has always pretty much been where it was, everybody in my neighborhood, but that wasn't true of everyone. They also are doing something with the exemptions. there was exemptions that we weren't putting in for with the state and um uh I don't know an example of that was maybe a an an elderly exemption or something they're applying that they are making sure that they get every single one of those. So I'm I'm quite proud of all the new people. >> Okay. Um I had a question. You mentioned that we're really conservative with our um overlaying like handing out tax abatements. Um conservative compared to who and why and then also could we not be? >> Okay.
087So we um with the new assessor and the new board, they are very conservative. um they've ran into several instances where uh people have had abatements and they they're supposed to be renewed every so often, things like that, and they were just allowed to continue without a review of it. And so, a lot of those have been coming to the board and frankly the board's saying, well, you know, no, it we're we're not allowing that now. >> And it's tough. Very tough. >> Well, and it's the same thing with like the TIFF committee, right? Like there was a couple times when I was on that committee where it's like we gave a tiff to a business that came in 20 years ago or something and it had like a really long, you know, like 20
088years of of a tax abatement is like a long time. I'm thinking of like I have constituents who are asking about it and um I know like in a specific case like the they hadn't been assessed in a few years so it jumped way high and so she's concerned about that and a lot of precinct 9 is elderly people in their homes on fixed incomes and so >> I hear I get a lot of questions about payments. There's there's there's a number of programs through the assessor's office that folks should go to the assessor's office and >> fill out the paperwork there as opposed to trying to do it on the phone. >> I'd be curious when we ask assessors. I'd be curious how many applications they get for like >> because I don't I'm
089not sure there are a ton of applicants even >> people don't know about it, >> right? >> It has to be publicized more. >> Well, and the new fund will help us, right? Because we recouping some of that loss. >> So this group of assessors although they may not be as I would say generous with the baitments as before they have pushed and they pushed me too to increase the numbers for the exemptions which we did. We increased I think probably since some of you were on the veterans um um the amount for veterans we've increased the number of people who can do the senior tax work buff you still have double the number of applicants but we don't actually have staff that you could because you to have a volunteer you have to have
090somebody that's kind of watching not watching over them but has work for them that it you have to have some staff that's associated with that. So, we've increased that. Um, and they, you know, are are very good with the, um, both Jim and Chuck have made evening nights, which that I', that's unheard of with the assessors. They were going to the library and the GCC to meet people to explain things if people needed help. Patty um, Kelson Williams serves on um, the elderly and disabled taxation fund. um that was just you know started this year and they're hoping I think for 10,000 20 >> 20 $20 20,000 some people will put in there's a board that will confidentially look at those things. We know that that's tough. Um, I know. I mean, I was at
091the senior center for their meeting just I think it was last week and they you won't hear the same from them that you would hear for you know a a youth program. They cut their pills in half and buy less. I had a person come up actually who was my tax bill was up. He said I had to choose between paying my bill and buying insulin and Patty told him to buy his insulin. He paid his taxes but she calls and checks on him every week. And I thought this is true with the senior population but um that board of assessors is trying as hard as they can to they'll push me on that as well. any senior I know you obviously have done a ton of work to get the help for it but
092>> any other thing that could help seniors especially in tax season would be appreciated >> and tell your constituents if they have a qu this is one thing that I think everybody should know if you get your tax bill in January and you want to fill out an abatement because you feel that your your property value is not right it has to be in by February 1st it's a really quick turnaround so as soon as you're walking around your neighborhood and people are telling you that. I know I've applied for them before um in in my neighborhood. I've done many of them. They were It's a really strict deadline that they have to be in. >> Great. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you both so much. That was very helpful. >> Yes. >>
093Sure. You're feeling good at this book. It's done. I'm very glad that it is done. We finished first set at like 2 a.m. at 2 hour and then we had to make >> um so for anyone who made it to the end of this meeting, thank you for joining us. Um, we uh I'm holding another public office open talk about the budget on May 16th at the library. If anyone wants to join, you're welcome to. Um, except for members of this committee. We can't have three of us there. So, only one of one of you wants to join me, you're welcome to. Um, and our next meeting is May 11th, >> and I believe it is also here, >> right? >> Not remembering that it was 5:30. >> It's at 5:30. Um, we're starting early
094because we have um multiple We have we're doing >> all of public safety and DPW. So, it's kind of like a heavy hitter night. Um, but it's at 5:30 at the Greenfield um fire station training room, open to the public um and online. Uh, and yeah, as always, if you have any questions, you can email the city council mayor's office. I would wish to adjourn. >> So moved. >> All in favor? Absolutely. Very nice. Thank you all.