The Easthampton City Council attempted to tackle ongoing budget concerns on June 3 as the a proposed tax override vote on June 9 looms.
Photo credit: Easthampton Media
EASTHAMPTON — As Easthampton voters prepare to decide a proposed tax override on June 9, the city’s ongoing budget challenges remained front and center during the city council’s June 3 meeting.
Residents and councilors spent much of the evening grappling with a series of supplemental appropriations, while several members of the public urged councilors to become more informed about the financial decisions facing the city.
“This council should be the last line of defense for our funds,” resident Cathy Wauczinski told councilors, noting that she had yet to receive information she previously requested regarding a line-item budget.
The override vote has dominated discussion in recent weeks as city officials warn that cuts will be necessary even if voters approve the measure.
Several of the appropriations discussed Tuesday involved expenses that Finance Committee Chair Thomas Peake described as difficult to predict during the annual budgeting process.
Public hearings on two requests — $20,000 to cover the remainder of the city’s Medicare tax obligation for the current fiscal year and $10,000 for additional legal fees for the city attorney — were continued until the council’s June 17 meeting. Councilors said they wanted more detailed information before taking action.
The council did approve a $23,000 appropriation to cover reinstated hours and overtime for the city auditor. Mayor Salem Derby restored hours that had previously been cut under former Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, and officials said the funding is needed to address a backlog of work.
The request prompted questions from councilors about how the additional spending was authorized. Councilor Kiam Jamrog-McQuaid asked whether the change should have been brought before the council in advance. Council President Koni Denham agreed that this sort of spending needs to be “reined in” in the future.
One of the largest appropriations approved during the meeting was $582,500 to cover snow and ice removal costs from this past winter.
Director of Public Works Greg Nuttelman said the city faced a particularly challenging winter season. Responding to questions about the nearly $247,000 spent on road salt, Nuttelman explained that while sand can provide traction, salt is necessary to melt ice and improve safety.
After residents questioned whether the expense would affect the current fiscal year’s budget, Peake explained that the funding comes from free cash, or surplus funds remaining from the previous year’s budget. Snow and ice expenses are difficult to budget for in advance because weather conditions cannot be predicted months ahead of time.
“We’re only people and we’re doing the best with what we can,” Nuttelman said.
The council also approved $60,182 to cover the cost of replacing a school nurse at Mountain View School after the employee took a leave of absence and later resigned. The funding will pay for a substitute nurse hired through an agency, associated agency fees and salary differences tied to the replacement nurse’s greater experience.
Questions from residents and councilors focused on why the school district could not absorb the expense. School Committee member Sam Hunter said several unexpected out-of-district student placements had strained the district’s budget, leaving no available funds to cover the additional personnel costs.
