P&Z fund requests are up for 2011

Education spending is flat

SALISBURY — The selectmen’s final budget plan is ready for the public hearing Monday, April 26. It calls for a town government spending plan of $4,893,817, an increase of $114,317, or 2.4 percent.

Until a couple of weeks ago the selectmen’s plan included a 1.5-percent increase over 2009-10 (or $73,317), for a total of $4,852,817.

That was before the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) made a request for a total of $65,000, for the hiring of a part-time planner to assist the commission in implementing recommendations made by consultant Donald Poland in his December 2009 report on the town’s land use administration.

The P&Z budget already had $4,000 allocated for consulting work; the request was actually for an additional $61,000, to bring the line item to $65,000.

Questions on P&Z plans

When the selectmen presented their planning budget to the Board of Finance last week, members of Planning and Zoning were on hand to further explain the request. The commission (at the request of the selectmen) broke down the areas where a consultant would be utilized into four main components: planning, procedures, regulations and the Town Plan of Conservation and Development.

The commission estimated the last item would cost $20,000; there was considerable disagreement among members of both the finance board and the selectmen as to whether this figure was appropriate.

The Board of Finance met Thursday, April 15, to consider both the town and school spending plans one last time before the public hearing, and asked the selectmen to reduce their bottom line by $20,000.

The Board of Finance did not make a specific recommendation as to where the selectmen should make the cut (state statute does not allow them to specify).

Budget line cut by $20k

And in a brief special meeting Monday, April 19, the selectmen unanimously voted to reduce the Planning and Zoning budget line by the requested $20,000, on a motion made by Jim Dresser, who noted that while Planning and Zoning can spend its money how it sees fit, the question of the conservation and development plan was the only real sticking point in the discussions between the three boards.

The Town Plan of Conservation and Development is a document required by the state. It must be updated every 10 years and it forms the basis for planing and zoning regulations.

“I don’t recall any serious questions about any other items,� Dresser said.

Merit pay

First Selectman Curtis Rand also addressed the $10,000 merit pay line for the selectmen, which is a decision of the Board of Finance and appears under the board’s category in the planning budget.

“I’ll try to give it away, I always have in the past and will continue to do so.� Rand has given the money to various nonprofits and service organizations in previous years.

Education spending

At the April 15 meeting, the Board of Finance accepted the Board of Education’s budget with minimal discussion and copious thanks. The Salisbury Central School spending plan calls for an increase of .47 percent, or $21,707, for a total of $4,626,160.

Finance Board Chairman Bill Willis noted a “dramatic� difference between the final product and earlier versions and said, “This helps us tremendously in terms of any tax increase.

“You’ve done a commendable job in bringing this down.�

Salisbury’s tab for the Region One budget is down slightly, from $3,040,399 to $3,022,681, a difference of $17,718 or a negative .58 percent.

The town’s total education spending for 2010-11 will be $7,648,841, up $3,989 or .05 percent.

Pay raises

And in executive session, the finance board voted for 3-percent raises for the town treasurer, the two voter registrars and the selectmen.