Dear Wayland Voter,

The Finance Committee is recommending an all-or-nothing
choice on a tax override of $2.1 million.

This makes it virtually certain that April voters won't be given a
ballot with a sliding scale (pyramid) or a menu from which to
decide. The decision is up to the Board of Selectmen.

When Selectman Alan Reiss recently presented a detailed
argument for expanding ballot choices, some of his his
colleagues responded negatively.

So Wayland voters will face a choice much like the April 2005
decision that permanently raised the property tax base by $2.3
million and increased current tax bills by about 9 percent.

Molly Upton reports below on the Finance Committee's budget
hearing and Tom Sciacca summarizes a sometimes angry
budget discussion by the School Committee.


FINCOM RECOMMENDS $2.1M OVERRIDE

At the public forum Feb. 16, the Fincom approved its
recommended budget for a $2.1 million override and decided
not to recommend a pyramid or menu override. The committee
will present its recommendations to the Selectmen at 8 p.m. on
Feb. 27.

The Fincom felt this budget is what it can support in the interests
of the town. One member mentioned that perhaps next year the
Fincom could consider the form of the override earlier in the
process.

Chairman Chris Riley noted that this is essentially a flat budget
other than items over which the town has no control. He said that
medical, pension, and energy costs will rise $1.7 million next
year. With the $325,000 needed to replenish free cash, the
amount reaches $2.1 million.

The Fincom meets at 7 p.m. on Feb. 23 to discuss plans for the
next three years.

At the public forum, the Conservation Commission observed that
cutting 10 hours from the clerical staff could delay applicants'
requests. One member noted most of the land left for
development is close to wetlands, and that the commission's
workload could increase.

The library director voiced concern about reducing hours.

While teachers' union representative Conrad Gees basically
endorsed the budget, there were eloquent pleas from
elementary specialists who spoke of the transference to other
disciplines of thought processes developed in their specialties.


ANGRY WORDS, $28.4M BUDGET APPROVAL

Even before the Feb. 14 School Committee meeting was called
to order, member Bob Gordon assailed the Finance Committee
for asking that an additional $100,000 be cut from the fiscal 2007
school budget.

He accused the Fincom of "grandstanding" at a budget meeting
the previous night. According to the Fincom, the School
Committee's proposed utilities increase was far higher than that
allowed by other town boards.

After the meeting began, Gordon said, "It seems to me that it's
not a terribly prudent- quote unquote- save". His voice grew angry
again as he said of the Fincom's questioning, "it should have
been two months ago."

But member Heather Pineault responded, "They weren't out to
get us, they were trying to understand." And member Barbara
Fletcher added, "We can do things to improve the process going
forward."

The Fincom asked a number of questions about details, and
school business manager Joy Buhler, her own voice tinged with
anger, said she had already answered some of those questions
over and over. But Chair Jeff Dieffenbach agreed to put together
answers to the latest Fincom inquiries, including a history of new
positions like the math/science coordinator this year and the
reading teacher last year.

'OVERRIDES ARE NOT BAD'

The $100,000 will bring the total reduction from a "level
services" budget to $293,000, or about 1 percent. This is a
"substantial reduction" of the system, said Gordon. "They've
tacked on another $100,000 gratuitously, in my view" to the cuts
volunteered in Superintendent Gary Burton's budget. "On what
rationale do we say this is good for the schools or good for the
town?...Overrides are not bad -- they're actually good...Why are
they (the Fincom) the ones to make that judgment (that
overrides are undesirable)?"

But member Louis Jurist responded, "I would much rather find
another $50,000 or $100,000 to cut than to sit here on April 26
finding $1.5 million to cut" -- the amount that would have to be cut
if an override fails at the April 26 vote.

"They gave you everything you wanted minus $100,000," said
Burton, as he argued against contesting the Fincom's request.

In a last attempt at fine-tuning, Jurist suggested raising athletic
fees to restore some elementary specialists. But Pineault
responded, "I can't support any more fees." With that the group
voted unanimously to approve a $28,407,893 budget.
Dieffenbach invoked the "rule of necessity" to allow the vote,
saying, "Almost every decision we make involves a conflict of
interest because we all have children in the schools." That rule
allows a vote even when conflicts of interest exist if a quorum
would be unobtainable otherwise.

MODULAR SCIENCE LABS

The modular labs approved by the town at last April's town
meeting, which were supposed to be ready in September, are
still not ready. The "tight tanks" needed for disposal of chemical
waste from science experiments do not meet the latest codes
and are not approvable for a plumbing permit. There will be an
indefinite delay, according to Burton.

SPECIAL TOWN MEETING ARTICLES

The committee discussed articles for the anticipated special
meeting within the Annual Town Meeting in April. One article is
planned to reconstitute the High School Building Committee.
The HSBC has advised that it believes up to five more members
added to the current 11 members would be workable, and
it recommends additions. Gordon advocated adding four, and
adding in their new charge that they should consider raising
private funds for more controversial portions of the project. He
was presumably referring to the large new theater replacing the
Little Theater and the extensive athletic facilities in the proposal
that failed a town-wide vote last year.

New reimbursement regulations from the state School Building
Authority are now expected on Feb. 22, incomplete and later than
anticipated. Some members have expressed uncertainty about
whether Article 2 of last January's Special Town Meeting forbids
spending to prepare for a new high school proposal.

"We ought to lift Article 2 at this Town Meeting no matter what,
and if anyone votes against it shame on them," Gordon said. He
discussed appropriating $25,000-50,000 to do preliminary work
such as assessing how the new rules would affect design and
planning. Some members of the HSBC predict that the Fincom
will recommend against any expenditure like that.


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Wayland Voters Network
Michael Short, Editor