DUBLIN BUDGET COMMITTEE
Minutes – October 24, 2006 Meeting
Present: Nancy Campbell, Charles Champagne, Rich Scheinblum -chairman, Sterling Abram – selectmen’s representative, Leslie Whone and Ken Woods.
Absent: Judy Knapp
Meeting was called to order by Rich Scheinblum at 7:05 p.m. The October 17, 2006 minutes were accepted as written.
Barbara Sovik presented the Town Clerk/Tax Collector part of the Financial Administration budget. There is no need to increase the hours for the Deputy-10 hours/week is sufficient. The following line items are changed from the 2006 budget:
Phone (4150.4-341) - $475 for 2007 vs $550 for 2006. This is a decrease because 800 numbers are used as much as possible. Ken Woods suggested that the Town might save money with the Freedom Plan. This will be looked into.
Postage (4150.4-625) – $1,400 for 2007 vs $1,300 for 2006.
Registry Fees – New line-$200. This line includes fees for registering and releasing property tax liens at the Registry of Deeds. This expense had been previously charged to another department. The cost is $2.00/lien or release and the expense is recouped as Income in Interest from Property Taxes.
The rest of the Town Clerk/Tax Collector items were the same as in 2006.
Question asked about mileage and why nothing had been spent as of the 3rd quarter. Barbara explained that she bills periodically and doesn’t charge for trips to the bank or for supplies-she feels that is part of her job. She was asked to estimate the number of miles for those trips in order to include it in the budget. The mileage for training should be included in any training s done for this office.
Bill Raymond presented the General Government Building budget. The following line items are changed from the 2006 budget:
Custodian (4194.1-110) - $550 for 2007 vs $527 for 2006. This is for snow shoveling.
Custodian FICA (4194.1-220) - $34 for 2007 vs $33 for 2006.
Electricity (4194.1-410) - $2,665 for 2007 vs $2,500 for 2006. This should be reviewed at the end of the year.
Custodial Service (4194.1-414) - $4,900 for 2007 vs $5,000 for 2006.
Archives Building (4194.1-432) - $4,168 for 2007 vs $3,920 for 2006.
Cleaning Supplies (4194.1-610) - $250 for 2007 vs $300 for 2006.
The rest of General Government Building items were the same as in 2006.
Bill explained that the Town owns the Clock in the Church steeple. There may be changes in this line if it could be determined that the Town could save money on electricity by changing the light bulbs.
Bill Raymond presented the Town Office Expense budget. The following line items are changed from the 2006 budget:
Computer (4199.1-342) - $3,500 for 2007 vs $4,500 for 2006. This includes BMSI ($2,321), Norton, email/domain name ($100) and equipment to run to the copier as a network printer.
Website (4199.1-344) - $1,200 for 2007 vs $1,125 for 2006. This is for Virtual Town Hall.
Advertising (4199.1-392) - $700 for 2007 vs $950 for 2006. Only one newspaper to put notices in.
Miscellaneous (4199.1-395) - $1,100 for 2007 vs $950 for 2006. This is for the Selectmen, mainly “Citizen of the Year” award, clocks, box rent and miscellaneous mileage for the Selectmen.
Town Report (4199.1-550) - $4,500 for 2007 vs $4,000 for 2006. This is the Town Report ($4,275) and ballots. The printing was put out to bid in 2006 and the low bids had unsatisfactory references.
Dues (4199.1-560) - $150 for 2007 vs $200 for 2006. This line is for dues to NH LOGIN, NH Municipal Managers Association and Assessing Officials Association.
Office Supplies (4199.1-620) - $1,500 for 2007 vs $1,425 for 2006. This is paper and printer supplies.
Postage (4199.1-625) - $1,500 for 2007 vs $1,600 for 2006.
Registry Fees (4199.1-671) - $100 for 2007 vs $0 for 2006. Current Use registration fees ($16.50/registration), which get reimbursed by the applicant.
The rest of the Town Office Expense line items were the same as in 2006.
There was discussion about mileage for all departments and where mileage for training is in budgets. This needs further review.
Bill Raymond presented the Health Agencies budget. This is for Monadnock Family Services. We are charged per capita. The figure is the same as 2006 $1,885.
Bill Raymond presented the Welfare budget. The following line items are changed from the 2006 budget:
Fuel Assistance (4441.2-813) - $4,000 for 2007 vs $3,000 for 2006. The Town has seen more requests for fuel assistance in 2006.
Community Kitchen (4441.2-814) – $500- the same as 2006. This number is subject to change because there is a new administrator at the Kitchen.
SW Community Services (4441.2-816) - $726 – the same as 2006. This number is subject to change, they haven’t given us a number yet.
The rest of the Welfare Expense line items were the same as in 2006. Whatever gets spent on General Assistance, Home Health Care, Nursing Care and Fuel Assistance is income from the Worthy Poor Trust Funds.
Bill Raymond presented the Personnel Administration budget. The following line items are changed from the 2006 budget:
Workmen’s Compensation (4155.2-810) - $15,000 for 2007 vs $15,500 for 2006.
The rest of the Personnel Administration line items were the same as in 2006.
Bill Raymond presented the Advertising & Regional Association (4197.4-810) budget - $3,050 for 2007 vs $2,987 for 2006. This includes NH Municipal Association ($1,350) and SW Regional Planning Commission ($1,700). Bill explained that each area of the state is required to have a regional planning commission. Even though the Planning Board isn’t presently using their services, the Town benefits from traffic counts that the SWRPC transportation committee does and the Town had SWRPC do their emergency management and hazard mitigation plans.
Bill Raymond presented the Insurance (4196.1-480) budget - $23,000 for 2007 vs $23,500 for 2006. This line includes liability and property insurance. Bill will find out if the deductible could be increased-it is currently $1,000.
Bill Raymond presented the Revaluation (4152.1-810) budget - $26,812 for 2007 vs $18,000 for 2006. It is possible we won’t have to do a statistical update, so this figure could be lower.
Bill also gave us a budget figure for Bank Charges (4150.8-110) under the Financial Administration budget- $4,000 for 2007 vs $2,334 for 2006. These are fees paid to Charter Trust for the administration of the Trust Funds. Question if these fees should come out of the Trust Fund accounts-Bill will ask Bill Goodwin.
Review of third quarter expenses and revenue. No major problems with expenses or revenues. Line items questioned were the following:
Police Department Witness Fees (4210.9-225 & 4210.9-812) –There are two lines in the report. Bill will check on this.
Summer Playground Director Salary (4521.2-110) was put into Summer Playground Staff Wages (4521.2-111) on the report, but it has been moved.
Leslie Whone questioned why the Town doesn’t issue boat registrations. This might be another source of income.
Review of the 2006 tax rate. The tax rate is $18.87, 8% higher than the 2005 rate. Both Conval and State education rates were up 11%, the County rate was about the same and the Town rate was 3% higher.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy E. Campbell, Co-Secretary
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