Cummington Finance Committee

Member	Title	Phone	Term Start	Term End
William A. Volk Micheal Holden Dennis W. Forgea Susan L. Warriner Scott Keith Maureen L. Tumenas David R. Owen Brian R. Anderson	Ex-officio Member Chairman Ex-officio Member Member Member Member	634-2174 634-0200 634-5358 634-5395 634-5084 634-5538 634-5797 634-5345	2007 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2007 2007	2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009 2010 2010

Meeting times: As needed

Term: Elected for 3 years at the Annual Town Meeting

Compensation: None

The Cummingtons Town Treasurer serves on the Cummington Finance Committee as an Ex-officio voting member and the Cummington Moderator serves on the Finance Committee as an Ex-officio non voting member.

FY 2006 Budget 5 year Budget Graph

CUMMINGTON FACES BUDGET DILEMMA

The Cummington Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen are unable to balance the Town Budget using the estimated Central Berkshire Regional School District (CBRSD) figures. The Town’s budget is short by $152,000. Over the past years, the Finance Committee has been able to balance the budget without a cost override vote but this year will be different.

For the past four Fiscal Years the Town’s Operating Budget, that’s all the various departments, Highway, Library, Board of Health, Police, etc., except the School District, has increased a total of $80,409 or 4.1% per year. On the other hand, the Town’s portion of the CBRSD budget has increased $252,732 or 10.7% per year over the same four-year period. After cutting $40,000 from the Town’s Operational Budget requests, the amount each department requires to operate through the year, there is still a shortfall of $152,000. The Committee will recommend level funding of the School Budget at the Town Meeting on May 6, 2005 as they did for the FY 2004 and FY 2005 Fiscal Budgets. For the past two years, the District School figures have been reduced when the final State Aid figures were received. The Finance Committee will also recommend an override to meet the Town Budget requirements and the obligation to the School District. The exact amount of the override will not be known until the State announces how much State Aid the CBRSD will receive.

The regional agreement stipulates that each Town is obligated to pay it’s share of the CBRSD Budget once 5 of 7 Towns approve it. Using the CBRSD Budget, the Town’s estimated cost for educational expenses, including vocational school tuition and school transportation has increased by $160,368 for a total of $999,035. The projected Town Operational Budget, everything else without educational expenses is $564,679. Without a successful override vote, this years increase will be taken from Town Operating Budget items, which are already low.

Town residents are invited to the Finance Committee Meeting on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 at 7:00 PM to ask any questions or provide any suggestions in regard to the FY 2006 Budget problems.