Some people have a very simplistic approach to Town finances. Cut the budget!! It is all they know, but what they don’t realize is that cuts mean reduced services and in some cases added expenses in the long run when things have to be done. What services do we cut? What improvements do we cut? What effect do these cuts have in the short and long term?
    Balance, it’s a word that isn’t used too much. Responsibility is another. The Town government is responsible to its citizens to provide organization and services while balancing revenues and expenses. It is this balance that keeps the Town growing in the right direction. It is also charged with acting responsibly. For too many years, in my opinion, the Town did not act responsible by ignoring needed infrastructure. The budget was not balanced in revenue streams, all to keep taxes low.  Those decisions are what brought us to the place we are at now.
    Here are some facts:
    • Our Town taxes are the lowest in the state and our electric rate is the highest. Our general fund has had a deficit for 30 years which has been made up with electric monies.
    • We have one of the lowest employee per capita rates of any municipality.
    • And our budget is lower than many equal or smaller municipalities while we offer more services than many larger municipalities.
    All of the above, except for the general fund deficit, point to a fairly efficient operation of town services and programs. Is there room for improvement? Of course there is, and this is what we strive for. The finance committee reviews expenditures and revenues every month as well as quarterly, and any member of the committee or council may submit items for the agenda. Agenda items are acted upon as a committee not just one person, and Council has the power to amend the budget at any time. Citizens are encouraged to attend the meetings and offer suggestions.
    Council also has the power to replace committee members when concerns are raised. When those concerns were brought to my attention, I added my replacement on the Council agenda for action. Again, in my opinion, that was the responsible thing to do.
    The Town’s finances are a complicated balancing act. It takes time, work and commitment. None of us are financial experts and we don’t have crystal balls. We use common sense, historical data, past practice and Charter requirements to provide the best services at the lowest cost for the greatest majority of citizens. That is our responsibility, one that we all take very seriously.