COLUMNS

How to Pay for the Police Station

jayhgivan

West Boylston needs a new police station, but . . .

If senior citizens, who are not getting a Social Security increase next year, vote in favor of increasing their taxes for a new police station, are they allowing the town to break their promise that a senior center would be a first priority after a new town hall?

As voters were as clear about the church for a senior center as selectmen were when they said it wouldn't be a good town hall for them, some believed the church deal proposal was more a CYA effort than a serious proposal in order to go straight to the police station.

Considering budget surplus and waste, how come West Boylston didn't propose what Hopkinton did in 2014 when they reduced their operational budget with a Prop 2 ½ Underride to ensure their library renovation costs would be offset?

In the FISP video the committee stated the proposed police station will cost $2.9 million and to be paid for over 20 years – a basic cost of $145,000 per year of additional spending.

Can the town find $145,000 from existing money?

The tax levy has increased an average of $377,475 a year between 2010-2015 ($13.02 million – $15.28 million). The town knew a police station need was coming, so why wasn't at least some money set aside each year from additional taxes to offset the cost they are now asking?

Pay-as-You-Throw trash bag fees produce a profit. Article 18 at the May 2011 set a limit on what the town could spend from the PAYT fund, set at $134,024.

What the town didn't do is set an amount of what it could collect in bag fees, but did admit that it collected far more than what they needed, so where did the profit go?

Regardless of how PAYT money has since been manipulated into the budget, the question is – what are the trash collection costs and how much in bag fees are collected each year, and why can't those profits be set aside for cost offsets?

FREE CASH

According to former town administrator Mr. Leon Gaumond, the town has averaged $580,000 every year between 2004-2013, and without FY2008 (a very politicized year), free cash would have averaged over $640,000.

Free cash is basically unexpected money flowing into the town, so consider it a surplus. Why would the town that gets $580,000 a year in free cash (unbudgeted money) want to raise taxes $145,000?

Then there's school budget waste; in particular administrative costs. Between the 2005/06 and 2012/2013 school year administrative costs escalated from 32% above state average to 41% above state average.

2012-13 . . . $484 state ave / $682 WB 40.9% higher than state average with 967 students = $191,466 overcharge.

2005-06 . . . $363 state ave / $479 WB 31.9% higher than state average with 1,137 students = $131,892 overcharge.

Why can't a portion of these bureaucratic overcharges help fund the police station?

It has been reported that a new police station is needed, in part, due to new mandates and regulations by the state. If the state is going to mandate West Boylston have something, let the state pay for the building costs associated with those mandates.

At the very least, get our state reps to waive prevailing wage laws so we can save money. If Marty Meehan could figure out a way to get around prevailing wage for a UMASS project, our reps can get waivers.

Add it up and there's plenty of existing money to pay for the proposed police station without asking for more. All they have to do is figure it out.