Above: Police Chief Jane Moran talks budgets with the Board of Selectmen

Southborough’s public safety chiefs went before the Board of Selectmen and Advisory Committee last night to make the case for a level-service budget for next year. Both Interim Fire Chief Michael Dunne and Police Chief Jane Moran said proposed cuts would harm their already understaffed departments.

A level-service budget for the fire department would be $1.8 million, about $32,000 over the current fiscal year. For the fire department, taxpayers would have to approve $1.64 million, about $87,000 over the current year.

Dunne said Southborough’s Fire Department ideally would operate with five firefighters on duty during each of its four shifts. Currently two shifts have five and the other two have four firefighters. Proposed cuts to the overtime budget could mean some shifts would have to operate with only three firefighters on duty, Dunne said.

“You are going to have some shifts with three people,” he told Selectmen and Advisory Committee members. “That’s just unsafe for the firefighters, and I don’t think it’s what the residents of Southborough expect.”

Dunne also said the proposed budget does not build in enough money for training on-call and full-time personnel.

Moran told board members the police department is also running lean. The department currently has 13 full-time officers, the same number it had in 2000, but Moran said call volumes have increased significantly over the past decade.

She also said the nature of crimes today – things like home break-ins and domestic violence – are more time-consuming than the types of calls they handled in 2000. “We don’t just sit around anymore. We jump from call to call,” she said.

Selectmen and Advisory Committee members asked questions of both chiefs, but did not say whether they would support a level-service budget for either department.

You can read another take on last night’s discussion in this article by the Metrowest Daily News.

There were no fireworks at last night’s well-attended public meeting to discuss the pros and cons of moving to a town manager form of government – just plenty of thoughtful discussion. I was impressed all around.

Most of those who spoke last night at the Senior Center had concerns about the 11-page draft legislation released last week, saying it went too far and created a town manager that would be too powerful.

The Metrowest Daily News did a nice recap of the meeting, so I’ll let you read all the details there, but here are some of the soundbites that stuck with me.

“What we’ve tried to do here is keep a balance, to keep the long term interests of the town in mind.” --Joseph Laning, Chairman of the Drafting Committee for Town Manager Legislation

“I have been a proponent of a town manager form of government for ten or more years, but I’m concerned about this draft, to be frank. I think it reaches too far. It consolidates too much power in the town manager.” –Al Hamilton, former member of the Advisory Committee

“We’ve been functioning this way with town bylaws since 1727 when we broke away from Marlborough. I don’t know how broken the system is…I think this town does run pretty well.” –Louis Fazen, Chairman of the Board of Health

“Comments that it’s not broken are short-sighted…If you think it’s not broken, you haven’t been sitting near the sausage factory like I have.” –John Butler, Advisory Committee member

“I think it was Harry Truman who said, ‘When you have an efficient government, you have a dictatorship.’” –Sam Stivers, former Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals

“If you don’t believe in the system vote it down, don’t water it down. If you water down the authority of the town manager, I think you will not get a top qualified candidate.” –Bill Boland, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen

Where you at the meeting last night? What did you think of the arguments pro and con? Is the draft legislation on the money, or does it go too far? Share your impressions in the comments.

For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, you can check out the latest draft of the legislation here (PDF). For a summary of the key changes, take a look at the presentation from last night’s meeting (PDF).

The Metrowest Daily News predicts a lively debate at tonight’s public meeting to discuss whether Southborough should move to a town manager form of government. If the comments on this blog are any indication, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll be right.

A committee of volunteers has worked since last summer to draft legislation that describes how the government in Southborough would operate under a so-called “strong town manager.” Key changes include increasing the size of the Board of Selectmen from three to five, and hiring a town manager who would essentially be the Chief Operating Officer for the town.

While the proposal to change our form of government has enjoyed broad support from elected and appointed officials in town, not everyone is sold on the idea. Some residents and boards have questioned whether the town manager would have too much power over town operations, while others question why Southborough needs to make any changes to its government at all.

Expect those questions, among others, to be hashed out at the public meeting tonight. The discussion starts at 7:00 pm at Cordaville Hall (Senior Center, 9 Cordaville Road).

If you want to do some reading in advance of the meeting check out the latest draft of the legislation (PDF).

Each year Southborough Youth & Family Services organizes a gift card drive to make the holidays a bit brighter for local families who are having a tough time, and as they have in the past, Southborough residents stepped up to donate to the cause. SYFS released this letter of thanks to all of those who contributed.

Dear Southborough parents,

Thank you so much for your participation in our Holiday Giving Program again this year. Altogether, you donated hundreds of gift cards, representing thousands of dollars, which we were able to distribute to local families experiencing financial difficulties this year. The need continued to grow this year, and 131 members of 40 Southborough families had a brighter holiday because of the generosity of all of you. This town continues to awe us and the families we help, with your ongoing commitment to supporting your neighbors in need. Thank you and best wishes to all of you for a happy and healthy 2012!

Sincerely,
Laurie Sugarman-Whittier, Director
Sarah Cassell, Assistant Director

The Board of Selectmen, in a joint meeting with the Advisory committee last night, got a look at the latest round of town budgets, and both groups agreed there was more work to be done.

Finance Director Brian Ballantine and Town Administrator Jean Kitchen presented three budget scenarios for comparison. The scenario that offered the steepest reductions would still leave the town with a 2.82% tax increase next year.

At the start of the budget season last fall, selectmen asked departments to submit budgets that were reduced by 1% over the current year. The goal was to evaluate the impact on the budget if there was no tax increase this year.

Selectman Bill Boland told department heads, many of whom were in the audience, that if they want more money in their budgets, they’ll need to make a case for it. “Anyone who believes they deserve more than a -1% budget has the opportunity to come to us and convince us why.”

While he commended Superintendent Charles Gobron for a “fairly low” initial request from the K-8 schools, Boland said selectmen would nonetheless have to decide whether to support the 0.9% budget request.

“It was a great first budget from the schools, but it’s still an increase,” he said.

Other departments with significant budgets, like police and fire, are also requesting increases. DPW is the only major department to put together a reduced budget it says it can live with.

Ballantine said even if all departments submitted budgets reduced by 1%, the tax rate would likely still go up somewhat because of increases to fixed costs like insurance and debt payments.

In previous years the Board of Selectmen and Advisory Committee have met separately with department heads to comb through budget details, but in an effort to simplify the process this year, the two groups have decided to meet jointly to conduct their reviews.

Their first joint session will be next Tuesday. No word yet on which budgets they will review, but I’ll keep you posted.

Did any of you watch the budget discussion during the live broadcast last night? What were your impressions?

Above: Cable Access Facilitator Lou D’Amico is the man behind the controls at Board of Selectmen meetings

I’ve long thought Board of Selectmen meetings would be more fun with a glass of wine in hand, and now those of you at home this evening will be able to put my theory to the test. Starting tonight, Board of Selectmen meetings will be broadcast live on public access television.

Selectman John Rooney said the live broadcasts will help residents stay informed with less personal inconvenience. He said he would like to see a system put in place to allow viewers to questions via email or other electronic form, but there are no provisions for that just yet.

If you’d like to watch live to see what goes on at tonight’s BOS meeting (agenda here), tune in at 6:00 pm to the Government channel, that’s channel 12 on Charter and channel 37 on Verizon. If you’re not able to watch live, replays are available generally two days following each recorded meeting. Check out the schedule here.

So, will you tune in? Take the My Southborough poll below. (Note: If you’re reading this via the My Southborough Daily email, you’ll need to visit the blog to vote or view results.)

Here are the committee and department meetings for the week. Be aware that changes to the meeting schedule are known to happen throughout the week. For the most up-to-date list of meetings, visit the town website.

All these meetings are open to the public, so you’re welcome to stop on by. Don’t know where the meeting room is? Give a shout in the comments and I’ll do my best to help.

Monday, January 23

• Drafting Committee for Town Manager Legislation, 7:00 pm @ Room A, Cordaville Hall (agenda)
• Planning Board, 7:00 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House (agenda)

Tuesday, January 24

• Neary School Council, 3:00 pm @ Conference Room, Neary School (agenda)
• Board of Selectmen, 6:00 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House (agenda)
• Drafting Committee for Town Manager Legislation, 6:15 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House (agenda)
• Advisory Committee, 7:15 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House (agenda)

Wednesday, January 25

• Capital Budget Planning Committee, 7:00 pm @ Country Kitchen, Cordaville Hall (agenda)
• Zoning Board of Appeals, 7:30 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House (agenda)
• Scholarship Advisory Committee, 7:30 pm @ Lower Level, Cordaville Hall (agenda)

Thursday, January 26

• Trottier School Council, 2:30 pm @ Room 190, Trottier Middle School (agenda)
• Conservation Commission, 7:30 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House (agenda)

Friday, January 27

• No meetings scheduled

The kick-off to election season began last week with the first day to take out nomination papers on January 9. Already we’ve learned that some incumbents in Southborough intend to run again, while others will give up their seats. If you’ve been watching from the sidelines and feel now is a good time to take the next step, here’s how to throw your hat in the ring.

Stop by the Town Clerk’s office in the Town House sometime before March 23 to pick up the paperwork. Then find 44 of your fellow residents (registered voters only) to sign your nomination papers, and return them to the Town Clerk by March 26. That’s it. Easy!

Here’s a list of the positions that will be on the ballot this year. All are 3-year terms unless otherwise noted. To see who currently holds each position, visit this page on the town website. Town elections are on May 14.

• Assabet School Committee (1-year term)
• Board of Assessors
• Board of Commissioners of Trust Funds
• Board of Health
• Board of Selectmen
• Board of Trustees, Library — 2 positions
• Town Moderator (1-year term)
• Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee — 2 positions
• Planning Board (5-year term) – 2 positions
• Southborough School Committee — 2 positions
• Southborough Housing Authority (2-year term)

If running for an elected position isn’t your thing, there are a number of appointed positions available where you can still have an impact. See a list of committee vacancies here.

The Regional School Committee met last night to review preliminary budget numbers for Algonquin. Superintendent Charles Gobron told the committee that due to a loss of one-time federal funds and increasing operational costs, the school budget is projected to increase by nearly 6% next year.

Reports Northborough Patch:

“Three years of almost level funding caused little increase in the base,” said Gobron. “The elimination of these substantial one time stimulus grants over the past years, plus increased needs in the area of special education, increased class size and rising health insurance have all affected the budget.”

The preliminary budget came in at $18,671,724, up from $17,619,217 last year. The Algonquin budget is funded jointly between Northborough and Southborough. No word yet on what Southborough’s share of the pie will be.

Earlier this month, Gobron presented the K-8 budget for Southborough. While also facing the loss of federal stimulus money and rising operational costs, the preliminary K-8 budget came in at only a 0.9% increase.

You can read more about the Algonquin budget in this article by Northborough Patch.

Above: Susan Dargan (far right) has decided not to seek another term on the K-8 School Committee

The Metrowest Daily News today gives us a peek into what the upcoming town election season might hold. Candidates were able to start pulling papers last week, and many incumbents have already done so, but one has said she won’t run again.

After three terms on the K-8 School Committee, Susan Dargan told the MWDN she has decided not to run for re-election, citing increased responsibility at her job in the sociology department at Framingham State University. She is also up for re-election to the Regional School Committee, but has not yet decided whether to run for that board.

K-8 School Committee Chairperson Marybeth Strickland is also up for re-election this year, but has not announced whether she will run. Kathleen Harragan Polutchko has said she will run for another term on the Regional School Committee.

Bill Boland’s term on the Board of Selectmen comes to an end this year, but it appears he plans to seek re-election. Boland has already pulled papers, but could not be reached by the paper to confirm his plans.

To find out who else is looking to throw their hat in the ring for another term, check out this article by the MWDN.

Correction 1/18/2012: In the original version of this post I wrote that Marybeth Strickland said she would run again. I got it wrong – she hasn’t announced her intentions either way. Apologies for the mistake.