HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-06-01 Board of Selectmen Packet - community listeningTown of Reading
Community Listening Meetinns
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Wednesday June 1 st 7:00pm Coolidge MS Multipurpose Room
Tuesday June 7th 1:00pm Pleasant Street Center
Thursday June 161h 7:00pm Parker MS Auditorium
411 \
Late dune through early August
Board and Committee public meetings to review what was heard at the initial
CLMs and draft a response.
Tuesday August 16th
Ultimate responsibility rests exclusively with the Board of Selectmen (BOS) to
call for a Special Election for an Override vote or not.
On this date the BOS may call for a Special Town Meeting on September 12th.
While Town Meeting has no formal role in the Override process, this BOS
prefers to seek their views before calling for a Special Election.
Town of Reading
Community Financial
Thursday September 1 St 7:OOpm RMHS Performing Arts Center
If the Selectmen have called for a Special Town Meeting, then this date will
be held as an opportunity for the elected Boards and the Finance Committee
to review the actions that will be proposed to the Special Town Meeting and
then to the voters. All residents and businesses are invited.
Monday September 12th possible Special Town Meeting
Tuesday October 18th possible Special Election
1I M. �� iitiii �
Since the last Override 13 years ago, annual budgets have grown at these rates:
M
+ 3.1 % Town
-0.9% Capital & Debt
+5.2% Shared Benefits
+3.1 % TOTAL
- Debt reduced inside the tax levy (Barrows & Wood End should have been excluded)
- Capital increased, far better planned and helping reduce annual operating costs
- Benefits: Reading has done far better than national averages for Health Insurance
- Premiums paid +5.5% ( +7.7% National trends — PwC Health Research Institute)
- Employees and Retirees took on more costs in order to preserve jobs for the organization
- Result comparatively good but +5.2% increases far exceed revenues
Since the last Override 13 years ago, annual budgets have grown at these rates:
+ 3.1 % Town
-0.9% Capital & Debt
+5.2% Shared Benefits
+ 3.1 % TOTAL
The forecast for the next three years is:
+0.7% Schools
+0.7% Town
+3.9% Capital & Debt
+7.0% Shared Benefits
+2.6% TOTAL
r`
Cash'
-xainy Day Fund - 'Free
$9,OM
$8,WO
$7,OW
$6,000
$5,000
$4,000
$3,000
$2,000
$1,000
%% W98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
FsW Year
Peer Communities
Tax Levy 60.5% 66.6%
Residential 91.4% 76.9%
Residential $53.8 mil, 4, mil.
C1P 8.6% 23.1%
CiP $5. 0 aril. $17.3 rail.
State Aid 13.7% 11.0%
Local Receipts 21.6% 17.5%
Other 4.2% 4.9%
Public Safety
.2%
8.7%
.5 %
Culture &
2.1%
1.7%
+0.4%
Recreation
Education
303%
39.1%
°0.2%
DPW
5.1%
4.9%
+0.2%
Human Service
0.6%
0.7%
-0.1%
Fixed Costs &
17.7%
17.8%
-0.1%
Debt
Other (Ent Funds)
22.4 %
22.8%
- 0.4 %'`
Gen'I Gov't
3.6%
4.3%
-0.7%
Peer average is 15.8% enrollments /population; Reading is higher at 17.4%
Pop.
Enroll
% Enroll
% Budget
Pop.
Enroll
% Enroll
% Budget
Westford
23,265
5,139
22.1%
45.0%
North Andover
29,217
4,795
16.4%
41.0%
Lexington
32,650
6,785
20.8%
36.0%
Walpole
24,818
3,946
15.9%
41.9%
Winchester
22,079
4,505
20.4%
36.8%
Natick
35,214
5,368
15.2%
34.2%
Westborough
18,630
3,624
19.5%
44.4%
Canton
22,221
3,326
15.0%
35.8%
Bedford
13,975
2,522
18.0%
39.7%
Wilmington
23,147
3,448
14.9%
44.0%
Lynnfield
12,395
2,205
17.8%
43.9%
Milton
27,270
4,011
14.7%
38.3%
Andover
34,477
6,076
17.6%
42.3%
Burlington
25,463
3,499
13.7%
39.7%
Mansfield
23,566
4,144
17.6%
44.9%
Wakefield
26,080
3,439
13.2%
31.7%
Reading
25,327
4,407
17.4%
39.3%
Danvers
27,483
3,588
13.1%
31.9%
Belmont
25,332
4,283
16.9%
34.2%
Tewksbury
30,107
3,658
12.1%
36.3%
Marshfield
25,509
4,267
16.7%
44.4°%
Dedham
25,299
2,776
11.0%
31.5%
North Reading
15,377
2,556
16.6%
38.8°%
Concord
19,285
2,114
11.0%
50.2%
Shrewsbury
36,309
6,016
16.6°%
43.4°%
Stoneham
21,734
2,317
10.7%
35.2°%
Reading
• is a bedroom community with low commercial tax base
• has a high student population to educate
• provides a high quantity and quality of services
Revenues are constrained below 3% for the foreseeable future
. significant economic development efforts are underway
Reserves are projected r decline
million ••• to Town/School budgets • r•
•' •• •- - - 11111 • • -•'' • - - r
An Operating Override can moderate or • •
Town - Schools to curtail staffing & services
Selectmen concerns:
Jsten to the Community
What Services do you use that you would be willing to give up?
(past community forums have had difficulty with this request)
Would o prefer target instead taxes?
example,
What are you concerned about as a resident of Reading?
Town of Reading
Community Listening Meetings
Wednesday June 1 St 7:00pm Coolidge MS Multipurpose Room
Tuesday June 7th 1:00pm Pleasant Street Center
Thursday June 16th 7:00pm Parker MS Auditorium