RUMFORD — Based on Tuesday night’s budget reduction work by selectmen, layoffs loom for municipal government employees.
Town Manager Carlo Puiia said layoffs are imminent because town meeting referendum voters didn’t approve the proposed municipal budget on June 11.
The current 2012-13 budget ends on Sunday, June 30, so starting Monday, July 1, the town must operate with 1/12th of that budget, since there is no new budget yet. There won’t be one until sometime next month, if voters accept the latest round of proposed cuts that are still in the works.
“We will be taking action immediately,” Puiia said of the layoffs. “The longer we wait, the more behind we will get. So municipal government will be doing layoffs based on the (proposed budget) numbers presented (Tuesday night). We have no choice.”
Additional action on department budgets Tuesday night included the rest of the Public Works Department and an attempt on the Parks and Recreation budgets. Selectmen decided to recess their work until 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 19.
After determining new, reduced budgets for summer roads, winter roads and sewer maintenance, the board tackled the bituminous surfacing, or the paving budget. Selectmen and the Finance Committee had recommended funding it at $50,000 in the rejected budget.
Puiia said Tuesday night that the board could decide to not fund the line item. Public Works Superintendent Andy Russell said he wanted to pave a number of town roads this year and that cutting the funding would put those jobs off.
Russell said it’s important to maintain this budget due to the high cost of paving and use it as an overlay to extend the life of roads rather than paying more when the road expires.
After Russell said he’d like to keep at least $30,000 in the account, Selectman Brad Adley motioned for $25,000. That was approved 4-1, with Selectman Frank DiConzo dissenting.
By likewise 4-1 tallies with different dissenters, selectmen reduced the state aid road construction budget from $30,000 to $20,000; the sidewalks budget from $20,000 to $10,000; and the bridges budget from $10,000 to $5,000.
Continuing that slant, Adley motioned to cut the building demolition budget from $12,000 to $6,000, but DiConzo and Selectman Jolene Lovejoy hit the brakes.
Both said they want to see Rumford’s mass of dilapidated buildings demolished and wanted the $12,000 to remain untouched. Resident Candace Casey also objected to Adley’s motion, saying the buildings are unsafe and need to come down. Casey also said she didn’t believe it was the intent of taxpayers on June 11 to see this line item cut, even though the majority killed the whole Public Works article.
“If a budget was defeated like ours was, we need to make decisions on each and every budget, and this needs to take a hit,” Selectmen Chairman Greg Buccina said.
That’s when resident and Parks and Recreation board member Rick White accused selectmen of doing what they didn’t say they were going to do: micromanaging departments.
“In one breath, you said you were not going to micromanage budgets, but, yes, that’s what you are doing now, and we’re what, two, three hours into this?” White asked.
Former Selectman Rob Cameron suggested giving the buildings to neighbors or nearby property owners, who likely would demolish the buildings themselves at no cost to the town.
Adley then rescinded his motion, and another motion was made and seconded to cut the budget to $10,000. That was approved 5-0.
Next came the Puiia Business Park, still under Public Works, and Lovejoy quickly motioned to keep that at $14,000, which was approved 3-2. Buccina wanted to reduce it to $10,000, and DiConzo wanted the work completed without the additional money, using money already stockpiled for the project.
The town garage budget was reduced from $58,747 to $51,000 by a 5-0 tally.
The board then started in on the Parks and Recreation budget, with DiConzo motioning to reduce it from $188,133 to $180,000, but that died for the lack of a second.
Lovejoy motioned for $183,430 and an ensuing discussion led Selectman Jeff Sterling to propose including $128,000 so the Parks Department could subcontract out recreation services to bid, Puiia said on Wednesday.
However, some felt the Greater Rumford Community Center would submit a bid. Voters defeated the center’s initiated articles requests for funding on June 11.
Lovejoy’s motion failed 2-3, and the meeting was recessed to Wednesday night.
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