The solution to the water deficit
I guess we will still see a 12% increase in water rates this budget year... but no mention of that in the Patch piece.
A group of Framingham City Councilors has agreed to a plan to cure a $2.5 million deficit in the city's water and sewer enterprise fund — a problem that has delayed the mailing of tax bills this winter.
The $2.5 million will come from freezing or cutting a number of city budgets, including Framingham schools, the library and the water and sewer fund itself.
The biggest piece — $2.1 million — will come from Framingham's free cash reserve, which is the city's rainy day fund. But the city will backfill the rainy day fund to the tune of about $611,000, so it will only be down by about $1.5 million by the end of fiscal 2021.
Framingham Schools will contribute $411,000 back to the rainy day fund. The money comes from a reduction in salaries due to teachers taking federal Family and Medical Leave Act — an unpaid medical leave program — this year to stay safe from coronavirus, and savings from field trip costs. The School Committee agreed to contribute the money at the Wednesday meeting.
On the municipal side, several departments will freeze budgets to save $250,000 by the end of the fiscal year. Framingham Chief Financial Officer Mary Ellen Kelly said a majority of that savings will come from the Framingham Public Library and others — she did not specify which departments because negotiations are still going on.
Framingham will also use $200,000 from the general fund reserves, which has a balance of $400,000. Finally, the water and sewer budget will be cut by $200,000.
The Council Finance Subcommittee, which includes Councilors Adam Steiner, George King Jr., Janet Leombruno, Cesar Stewart-Morales and Michael Cannon, unanimously approved the plan at a Thursday night meeting. The compromise was the result of a private meeting last week with King, Steiner, Mayor Yvonne Spicer, Kelly, Superintendent Robert Tremblay, School Committee Chair Adam Freudberg, District 6 School Committee Member Geoffrey Epstein and Framingham Schools Chief Financial Officer Lincoln Lynch.
posted by Jim Pillsbury @ 1:02 PM
9 Comments
9 Comments:
So what happened at this private meeting that brought this down to pretty much what the mayor had asked for more than a month ago?
on that private meeting, so much for the mayor's campaign promise of transparency in Framingham city government
I thought MA passed a paid FMLA that took effect in 2021? I think the teachers do get paid for this if they take it.
If George voted for it then I support it, but I am surprised that after a month of arguing< they ended up doing pretty much what the mayor asked for originally as far as taking a lot of money out of the rainy day fund>
Where is the money to back fill the general fund coming from other than from the pockets of all of us paying property taxes? Increased taxes for the Fuller school and CPA, huge water bill increases, and now more increases to backfill this fund. You are making Framingham too expensive for middle class people, but not offering any of the upscale benefits you get living in one of those upscale communities. Eventually we won't be able to sell our homes here because of this. Maybe that is why the CFO already sold hers.
On to the next problem facing Framingham. Anyone want to venture what that next problem will be?
I'll bet it's the snow budget then the increase in recycling fees.
Question for you Jim unrelated to this but I did not know how else to reach you. Our paper masks recyclable or do they go in the regular trash?
Regular trash. They are considered hazardous waste.
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