Board tightens, OKs '09 budget; Cuts allow increase of 3.75% to just over $15M.

Byline: Patricia J. James

NORTHBORO - Selectmen by consensus last night approved a fiscal 2009 municipal budget that stays within the limits of Proposition 2-1/2.

At just over $15 million, the budget is a 3.75 percent increase over the current year's budget.

Town Administrator Barry M. Brenner told the board last month town services and programs could not be maintained at the current level next year if the budget was to stay within the limits of Proposition 2-1/2. This was attributed to significant cost increases in areas such as health insurance premiums, the town's assessment for the Worcester Regional Retirement System, workers' compensation premiums and wage adjustments. To maintain current municipal programs, services and operations, the budget would need to increase by about 7.5 percent for next year, to about $15.6 million, he said.

Last night, Mr. Brenner proposed more than $530,000 in cuts from the previous budget draft. The town usually puts $118,500 annually in the reserve fund account and $100,000 in the stabilization fund account. He proposed suspending both for one year. Additionally, deferring the vacant positions of assistant town engineer, Public Works equipment operator and two new library positions will save $132,000. Other cuts include reducing funding for the veterans agent from $21,000 to $10,500 because of a current reduced caseload; reducing the town's estimated debt service costs by $100,000 for the year; and transferring $58,428 of interest on trust funds to underwrite some of the costs of the Health and Public Works and Family and Youth Services departments.

Mr. Brenner had previously said budgets for the town schools, municipal government and Northboro's assessment for Algonquin Regional High School could only increase 2.5 percent for the next fiscal year and stay within the limitations of Proposition 2-1/2. Last night, he said it is now estimated a 3.75 percent increase in each of those three items would stay within those limits.

According to Mr. Brenner, the governor's budget shows better state aid numbers than had been used to prepare the previous budget. Also, the town assessment for Assabet Valley Regional Vocational High School is less than expected.

The assessment for Algonquin increasing by 3.75 percent, however, is predicated on the Northboro-Southboro Regional School Committee acting to revise the current year's assessment.

Selectmen have asked the school board to revise the current year's assessments to the two towns because the district received more than it anticipated in Chapter 70 state aid and transportation funds, according to Mr. Brenner. The towns were over-assessed by $369,000, he said. The 3.75 percent increase for fiscal 2009 would be calculated on the lower revised assessment for the current fiscal year.

Selectmen praised Mr. Brenner's work on the budget, saying they were happy that no employees would be laid off.

"You saved bodies, which I think needs to be one of the first things we do," Selectman Jeff Amberson said.

In other business, the board approved promoting Detective Sgt. William Lyver to lieutenant. According to Police Chief Mark K. Leahy, Detective Sgt. Lyver joined the department in 1979 as a special police officer. He became a full-time patrolman in 1983; was assigned to the detective bureau in 1988; became the town's first Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer in 1990; and became a patrol sergeant in 1996. He has been detective sergeant since 1997.

"It's a great privilege for me, and I'm quite honored," he told the board.

A badge-pinning and swearing-in ceremony will be held at 7 tonight at the police department.