York Town News
Selectmen approve carry-forward balances with few exceptions
By Larry Favinger
YORK - Carryover time in the town's budget process elicits a lot of discussion, and this year was no different as the Board of Selectmen took a look last week at the list presented by Finance Director Elizabeth McCann.A vote of the board is needed to allow these unexpended funds to become part of the town's designated fund balance rather than the undesignated fund balance, a portion of which is used annually to help defray taxes.
Action is needed in a timely fashion, McCann said at the July 24 meeting, because it does affect departments that need the funds and completing the action is an important part of closing the books for the previous fiscal year.
The list presented at the meeting totaled $591,749.56, but included no figure from the public safety and public works departments. Just where these budgets stand isn't known at this point, due to the extra work required as a result of the Mother's Day weekend storm and flood.
Money earmarked for projects had to be utilized to cover the cost of work done to deal with the storm - money that hopefully will be returned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Speaking to that reimbursement, Town Manager Robert Yandow said, "Hopefully when all is said and done it will be a wash. We're hopeful we will not be running a deficit."
Most of the other items on the list are capital projects that, for one reason or another, weren't completed in the fiscal year. The largest single carryover was $256,766 in the fire truck reserve that helps defray the cost of equipment when it is needed and approved by voters.
Other capital items included $28,498 for Josiah Norton Road, $47,677 for police vehicles, $45,445 for Fisherman's Walk renovations, $14,777 for Bell Marsh Road, $39,119.14 for the Route 1/Route 91 redesign and $55,000 for the York Police Department facility plan.
All items on the carryover list have previously been approved by the voters at a May Budget Referendum.
When the discussion turned to who has authority over the funds - a point that is not spelled out in the town's home rule charter - Selectman Torbert Macdonald Jr. noted that "who can do it and how it would be done" isn't really a question because the town's voters "have declared their intent" for the projects.
"Why go over it again?" Macdonald asked. "I don't think there's a statute of limitations on the voters' action."
Selectman Len Dorrian raised the question as to what is capital and what is operating, a question most-often discussed at budget time.
"The voters deserve to know that," he said. "I want to see background on this whole list of stuff."
He said he also wants a listing of reserve accounts and expressed frustration with not having information on the overall list.
During the public comment portion of the meeting Windol Weaver of the Budget Committee suggested that committee should be the one to review the carry-forward items because it reviews the town budget line item by line item in approving the annual proposal that goes to the voters. Later in the meeting, he said that discussion could take place prior to next fiscal year.
Selectmen Chairman David Marshall said that it would be "a good idea to go to the Maine Municipal Association for an opinion" on just who should handle this part of the budget but added that, "tonight we should go ahead."
Selectmen Vice Chairman Dwight Bardwell said the town's charter does a disservice in this area because "there is a police issue here that is ours and a money issue here that is" the Budget Committee's.
Selectman Michael Estes said he had a problem with four items on the list: public safety and public works, because final figures are not known; the paving account, which shows a $66,000 overdraft, and the septic system at the York Beach town garage, which has been carried forward for several years.
McCann explained that the overdraft was the result of a clerical error.
As to the list itself, Estes said, "Town Hall listened to us. They came back with a reasonable list. I think they need to be commended for that."
Carry forward action was approved by a 5-0 vote for all accounts with the exception of paving, public safety and public works.
