Is there room for more Grafton budget cuts? Trash pickup, road repairs on chopping block

There’s a potential for $579,350 in additional cuts to the proposed $68.2 million Fiscal Year 2021 Grafton municipal budget, but while they may not hit voters’ wallets, they will still come at a cost, Town Administrator Tim McInerney told the Select Board Tuesday night.

The most controversial would be the cancellation of curbside trash pickup, at a savings of $400,000. McInerney suggested it could be replaced by a subscription-based program — but cautioned that the incineration contract with Wheelabrator is based on minimum tonnage the town may not be able to provide.

Other possible cuts:

• The Nelson Park and Library would change to fully funded through the Nelson Trust accounts, saving $29,850. The trust would only be able to sustain this change for two years.
• The Highway Department could be solely funded by state Chapter 90 funds. This would decrease the amount of repairs to town roads.
• Seasonal positions could be removed from the Parks and Cemetery account for $12,000. Less upkeep to cemeteries and parks would be completed.
• Two positions could be eliminated from the Grafton Public Library’s budget. At a savings of $15,000, this would have the new library opening understaffed.
• Economic Development costs of $30,500 and Fire Department equipment totaling $92,000.

These cuts would be on top of the $568,122 in department requests that McInerney already left out of the FY2021 budget (see slideshow above for the lists of those cuts).

Meanwhile, the School Committee was just a floor away, discussing eight positions that may be cut in FY2021 if a Proposition 2 1/2 override is not passed.

While a Proposition 2 1/2 override vote for the spring has yet to be set, the Select Board, School Committee and Finance Committee have been discussing a $6.5 million override to fund school and town operating budgets over the next five years.

“The cold, hard reality here is we are going to be unfair to someone,” said Select Board member Ed Prisby. “It’s the financial reality here. People are going to be paying more and receiving fewer services.”

If Prisby was feeling like Cassandra in this moment — he has spent his time on the board predicting financial troubles for the town and calling for long-term planning — he wasn’t reveling in it. Both he and Select Board member Peter Carlson questioned McInerney’s revenue predictions for FY21, noting that the anticipated $360,000 in marijuana-related funds is by no means certain when none of the businesses with host agreements have completed the application process with the state Cannabis Control Commission.

Carlson also brought up the salary increases McInerney included in the budget for several non-union positions that were deemed not competitive with similar positions in other towns. The most dramatic increase is to the Town Clerk’s salary, who would receive a 19 percent raise from $59,303 in the current year to $71,000 in FY2021.

The salary increases, McInerney said, are necessary to retain personnel. In the case of Town Clerk Kandy Lavallee, even her increased salary remains below what was paid to previous clerks Maureen Clark and Donna Girouard.

“Kandy was not even close to what the number was to be competitive,” McInerney said. He added that he preferred in her case to give a larger boost immediately rather than ease it in over a few years as is the case with other town employees.

“We may be sending the wrong message,” Prisby said, noting that the town will be asking taxpayers who themselves haven’t received a raise in years to fund the increases. He added “If we don’t increase revenue next year, we’re going to be losing people.” 

Select Board Chairperson Jennifer Thomas said she would prefer not to cap town employees’ salaries.

“It’s not good for morale,” she said. “People work very hard, and you’re taking away the motivation.”

“They’re good people, they’re hard-working people,” Prisby agreed. The town, however, has been neglecting maintenance projects to fund salaries and risks more expensive repairs in the future. “At the same time, you shouldn’t have to take a vow of poverty to work in public service.”

McInerney noted that the school budget does include salary increases and said it would be unfair to give raises to some town employees but not others.

Several members of the public spoke in favor of bringing forward the override request to voters. Some confused Select Board member Donna Stock’s concern about scheduling an election in late spring — near the end of FY2020 — with a reluctance to go forward with the override vote at all.

“I believe we can convince the people in Grafton that we need an override,” School Committee member Amy Marr said. “We need to put it on the ballot.”