Acton Voters Group

1
Acton Voters Group

• Advocating for more prudent budgets to help
  Actons citizens in these troubling times

2
Acton Voters need FinComs help

• Dire economic news is a warning
• We need to help all Acton citizens
• Acton needs budget choices at April TM
• Choice 1 2 1/2 tax increase budget
• Choice 2 Zero tax increase budget
• Preserve the reserves
• Do not spend reserves on recurring expenses

3
Acton 3-year plan is troubling
4
Will FinCom hold to the POV?

• Will FinCom approve budgets that do not conform
  to POV?
• How will FinCom help to ensure strict hiring
  restrictions?
• Does this mean no new hires?
• Will FinCom ensure budgets call for an attrition
  policy?
• FinCom POV recommends a Hard reality for raises
• Does that mean raises similar to Acton residents?
• How will FinCom ensure this applies to collective
  bargaining?
• FinCom POV recommends cost reduction. Is there a
  plan?

5
Tax increase guidance from POV

• When is a less than 2 ½ tax increase appropriate
  ?
• Point of View time is past to avoid tax
  increase
• If not in bad times, then when?
• What is FinCom POV plan for tax abatement?
• Is it fair to raise taxes on unemployed?
• Present plans are of little real value due to
  restrictions
• Could bolster senior tax relief fund
• Would FinCom support a 4 budget plan?
• No new hires
• Spending controls
• Budget increase from actual, not from approved

6
Budget choices will help Acton

• Can anyone guarantee this economy be normal by
  FY12?
• If not, then we need to protect Acton with
  prudent budgets
• Choice 1 FinCom POV 2 ½ tax increase budget
• Level Services budget
• 4 budget expansion
• No new hires
• Attrition policy
• Choice 2 Zero tax increase budget
• No new hires
• POV policy on raises and benefits strictly held
  hard reality
• Preserve the Reserves no reserves used for
  recurring expenses
• Initiate a cost reduction plan per the POV

7
Preserve the reserves

• STM message preserve the reserves
• Comparable towns keep reserves at the 10 level
• The ALG 3-year plan is to spend the reserves
• As of 10/24/08 spend from 7.9M to 1.2M
• Not in accord with Mass DOR best fiscal practices
• Not in accord with comparable towns
• Acton needs a reserve policy
• In accord with Mass DOR best practices
• Avoid spending reserves on recurring expenses

8
Reserve policies nearby towns

• Town of Concord using free cash to avoid
  overrides for operating budgets is a risky
  practice.
• Town of Ayer Town Accountant Using non
  recurring revenues to meet recurring expenditures
  is unwise financial practice
• Town of Uxbridge Free Cash should be used to
  fund capital purchases or one-time expenses, as
  opposed to funding an operating budget.
• Similar policies from Sudbury, Andover, Newton,
  Rockport, Easton, Groton, and Assoc of Town
  Finance Committees Hdbk, 2004, Mass. Municipal
  Assoc.,
• Mass DOR Best Practices
• Research on comparable towns ActonVotersGroup.com
  

9
New Acton Budget Choices needed

• Dire economic signs are a warning
• We need to help all Acton citizens
• Acton needs budget choices at April TM
• Choice 1 2 ½ tax increase budget
• Choice 2 Zero tax increase budget
• Preserve the reserves
• Do not spend reserves on recurring expenses