WESTFIELD – The Finance Committee met on Monday to review the findings of the budget hearings, and to set their recommendations for the City Council. All but two City Council members attended the meeting on Monday.
Finance Committee members Matthew T. VanHeynigen, Robert A. Paul, Sr. and Dave Flaherty continued their work Monday in advance of budget vote. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Also attending at the start were a dozen people who came out in support of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail. Finance Committee chair Robert A. Paul, Sr. said that the purpose of the meeting was for the Finance Committee to pull its notes together, and to get input from the Councilors in attendance. He said there was no public presentation on the agenda. Paul added that a public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, June 21 at 6 p.m. in Council chambers.
After a brief discussion, committee member Dave Flaherty made a motion to allow two minutes of public participation by one person per topic.
Representing the Friends of the Columbia Greenway, Don Podolski said they were there to speak in support of the $250,000 needed for design work in order to receive a $6.2 million match from a state and federal grant already earmarked for the Westfield Rail Trail.
“The $6.2 million construction funds are contingent on the design being finished in a timely manner. If not, how much money would be left on the table,” Podolski said. He said the funds for construction will be bid on by local contractors, furnish local jobs, and the trail will be a great asset to the city.
Paul then addressed the Council members in attendance. He said in the Mayor’s budget, there is proposed revenue from a tax increase. “For me, the goal is to represent people the best way we can, with no increase in residential tax,” Paul said.
The amount of the tax increase seemed to be a point of discussion between Paul and Flaherty, with Paul citing the number of $1.7 million in cuts needed, and Flaherty, $4.1 million.
School district and City Councilors listen to Finance Committee deliberations on Monday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
“We’re looking for a balanced operating budget without the use of non-recurring revenue,” Flaherty said, referring to the use of one-time grants to fund ongoing positions. He said they were also looking for accurate fiscal year appropriations. As an example, he said when there are known recurring expenses mid-year such as police vehicles, they should be in the budget.
Committee member Matthew T. VanHeynigen said the committee had gone through the exercise the previous year, recommending $2 million in cuts to the budget, and ending up with a little over $120,000 in cuts.
He said, given a half million increase in utility expenses, $1.2 million for Medicare, money for road improvements and cars “this is not an easy budget to see where you’re going to cut.”
Besides the $250,000 design work in the engineering budget, other items that are being looked at include some room in 50 as yet unfilled positions in the Westfield Public Schools, and $900,000 in money that was budgeted for the city’s electric and gas and not spent. Paul also said that last year, the City Council had added $1.6 million to stabilization, a portion of which may be available if needed.
The public hearing on Wednesday will be followed by a Committee of the Whole City Council at 7 p.m. to recommend cuts, and a final vote on the FY18 budget on Thursday at 7 p.m., all in City Council chambers.
