BETHEL — Approximately 50 voters came to the Town Office on Tuesday, Dec. 7, to decide on budget increases across several departments in the town. About half the attendees stood around the sides of the small room. Some spilled into the adjoining hallway, but returned to the meeting room to raise their card to vote.
While most of the 16 articles passed, few were without discussion and many passed by just a couple of votes. People expressed concern about: the wording of the articles, specifically that there was no breakdown of the money being appropriated. Some questioned why there was a special town meeting at all since departments are able to overdraft.
Others felt there was an overall lack of communication by the selectmen. A few people also expressed a need for the budget committee to meet more often [than once a year] and more publicly. One resident cut deep, questioning if the select board members and town officials had any understanding of the town ordinances and were competent, at all.
At the start of Town Meeting, Jane Ryerson, spoke first, saying that she felt the meeting should be cancelled; she questioned the legality of the warrant. The date had been wrongly recorded, but Board Chair, Lloyd Sweetser said the error was corrected. “People have not had time to come to this meeting and understand and know what’s going on…it seems like it’s a little shady the way this is being done. There is nothing in here that couldn’t wait until town meeting next year…last year at town meeting we approved $33,000 in overdrafts because you went over,” said Ryerson.
Resident, Scott Cole backed Ryerson’s opinion, “None of these departments are anywhere near over expended. I would urge everyone to vote ‘no’.”
With many town employees in the room there were awkward moments when wages were addressed. Ryerson said, “Where is it written that employees are always going to get a cost of living increase? If that’s what you’re going to do, shouldn’t it be in a manual?”
In response, Town Manager Natalie Andrews, said there was a discrepancy in wages, with newer employees coming in at a rate that was as high as the wage for long-time workers. She also stressed the difficulty of finding new employees.
Addressing a resident that suggested town employees had resignations in hand unless they received raises, Selectman, Frank Del Duca, said that government jobs have better benefit packages, including earned time, which offsets lower wages. He said he believed it was a leadership issue, too.
“Anytime your staff comes to an employer and says unless you give me more money I’m quitting. I open the door… you will end up with your back against the wall… We just got a new Town Manager. She has been in the job and the hot seat for three months now, it’s not very long to create that environment.” He went on to say we need to slow down in a way that everyone wins.
Resident Rick Savage said he thought town employees were payed well and the current climate was temporary. “this is not very well thought out…This is inappropriate. We should be covering the fuel over costs. These wages should not be passed tonight.”
The make-up of the undesignated fund balance of $3.2M was under attack as well. One citizen asked how much of the fund was cash. “It’s the cash net worth of the town at a specific point in time,” said Cole, “it’s a theoretical number…not cash. The town officials need to be held accountable for how they come up with these numbers. It’s a sloppy warrant. The articles are sloppy…Town Manager is supposed to see to it that the ordinances of the Town are followed faithfully. I don’t put it on her directly… It’s a poor board of selectmen and it’s a ship without a rudder.”
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