LIVERMORE FALLS — The town’s proposed $197,861 administration budget will go before voters for the third time Tuesday, Nov. 5.
It failed in June by a 155-131 vote and in July at a town meeting by a vote of 36-32.
The polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Town Office.
The overall budget this year, including the proposed administration budget, is $2.25 million. It is about $47,000 less than last year’s budget of approximately $2.3 million.
The administration article is $32,695 more than the 2012-13 budget. The increase is due to residents voting in previous years to change the town clerk/treasurer position from an elected to an appointed one. When the position was elected, it fell under the elected officials budget. When it became appointed, it had to be moved to administration, Town Manager Kristal Flagg said.
The elected officials budget for the current year is $38,350. It had been $70,754 last year when it included the town clerk/treasurer position.
The elected officials budget had also failed at the polls in June by a 151-136 vote but passed in July in a 34-31 vote.
The town has been operating on last year’s budget until a new budget is approved.
If the administration budget fails again, changes will have to be made, Flagg said.
Most of the budget is set fees that the town cannot change, she said. Those include animal control and animal shelter, legal fees, postage for all departments, supplies for all departments, town audit, computer software services, elections and dues to various groups. The latter groups provide a variety of services, including advice, economic development and planning.
The only place left to cut is wages, she said. The town manager is a contracted position and the town clerk/treasurer is a salaried position, Flagg said. Both positions are required under the town government format voters chose years ago.
That leaves the position that is the tax collector, excise agent and register of voters, she said.
If that goes then you might as well close down the Town Office, she said.
The other position in the office is not paid by taxes but through the Sewer Department and wastewater treatment plant, Flagg said.
The assessing agent firm and code enforcement fall under different budgets.
Residents have voiced concerns about the cost of town government and taking money out of surplus.
The town staff has worked diligently to run the government more efficiently and have cut out items, including positions on the highway crew and a full-time custodian who worked in the Town Office, Flagg said.
Town Office staff has taken on more duties over the years to save money, she said. Those include doing payroll in-house, pitching in on custodial work, and finding the best buys on items.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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