Several non-standard items are on the table

By J. Michael Sconyers
The Board of Finance is well along in its work to prepare the annual budget for fiscal year 2007-2009 review and approval (one hopes) at the annual town meeting, which will be held on May 14, 2007.
This year there are several important “non-standard” items under discussion, in addition to the familiar items such as the Botelle and Region 7 budgets, roads, winter maintenance, and the myriad other things that the town pays for to keep things running. These include Botelle School window replacement and renovations, construction of a new facility for the Norfolk Lions Club Volunteer Ambulance Corps, purchase of a new fire truck for the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department, the upcoming Property Assessment Revaluation, and an update to the Town’s Zoning Regulations and the Town Plan.
As is often the case, there are some surprises that are also at play. For example, it appears that the Botelle budget for this year will probably be overspent by as much as $100,000 because of unexpected and unforeseeable Special Education expenditures. In contrast, it appears that Norfolk’s assessment for the Region 7 budget for the coming year may be $200,000 less than in the current year.
By the time this article is published, the Board of Finance will have met with the Botelle Board of Education on March 20 for its budget presentation. In addition, the Region 7 Board of Education will have presented its preliminary budget to the Board of Finance on March 27. Yet to go is the presentation by the Norfolk Board of Selectmen of the general town government annual budget request.
The Board of Finance reviews all these budget requests and proposals, and then prepares the complete, proposed annual budget in time for the budget hearing, scheduled for April 30, 2007. At the budget hearing the Board of Finance presents its recommendations to those in attendance, and receives comments, complaints and suggestions to change the budget. This is the most important part of the process, because after the budget hearing, the Board of Finance meets again to consider the issues raised at the hearing and decides whether to make any changes to the proposed budget.
A final version of the annual budget is adopted for submission to the town’s legislative body, which in Norfolk is the annual Town Meeting, scheduled this year for May 14. The Town Meeting is not conducted by the Board of Finance. Instead, a moderator is elected at the beginning of the meeting. The moderator then has the Town Clerk read the call for the meeting. At the annual town meeting, the budget can be approved as submitted, or may be amended on motion. However, the budget cannot be increased, nor can funds be appropriated for any purpose not recommended by the Board of Finance.
Finally, once a budget is approved at the town meeting, the Board of Finance must again meet and set the new mill rate, to raise the money to pay for all the appropriations in the budget. By long tradition, this final step usually follows immediately after the town meeting is adjourned.
J. Michael Sconyers is the chairman of the Norfolk Board of Finance.