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Gray Council makes prudent use of increase
By Elizabeth Prata

Gray--Gray Town Councilors struggled on Tuesday night with the Town meeting mandate to reduce their proposed 15% increase down to a 5% increase, and the "rubber hit the road," as Councilor Matt Sturgis put it.
Taking nearly $400,000 from the increase was not so hard at first. The Council held two workshops after the June 5 Town meeting and closed in on the gap.

They cut a proposed perimeter fence from the Transfer Station account, reduced proposed reserves from the sidewalk and technology account, and cut an unfilled Deputy Code Enforcement Officer position. They also began tweaking projected revenues, but since the motion at Town meeting specifically stated that expenditures must be cut, after seeking a legal opinion, it was deemed that working with revenues was not adhering to the specifics of the Town Meeting motion.

That left an approximate $50,000 gap, from which the Council needed to fill. They proposed cutting the Assistant Parks and Rec position, the first time a filled position had been on the chopping block.

Tuesday night the Council needed to make final decisions because, "The Fiscal Year started five days ago, and we have business to do," Said Chair Pam Wilkinson.

The Councilors themselves were their biggest obstacle as they struggled with their own feelings and philosophies balanced against the will of the voters who spoke at Town Meeting.

Councilor Richard Barter proposed a Special Town Meeting to ask for another result. "The Council spent six months building a budget it believed in and built in essential services to help the people of this town and to sustain the culture of Gray. The voters must have an opportunity to view using surpluses to fund these programs, while fully honoring the mandate to cut the budget [increase] by 10%. I do not favor cutting people, services, or programs just because we hit a bump in the road."

Sturgis was opposed to that idea. "I cannot support the concept of another Town Meeting. We have one meeting a year and to go to another town meeting because we weren't happy with the results seems to be a complete disregard of the democratic process under which this town operates. The mandate was to reduce expenditures, period. We have finite resources and the rubber has to meet the road."

Barter countered by saying that "Nothing about having a special town meeting goes against the will of the people. It supports the citizens and the process is supported by the charter."

Chair Pam Wilkinson said that she would be happier if more people had participated in the budget building process all along, rather than wait to the end.

Proposing to cut the Assistant Parks and Recreation position galvanized several citizens who were adamantly opposed to reductions of that magnitude for the Parks and Rec Department.

Mark Sanborn told the Council that there were plenty of places that they could find $100,000, "Easy. The Employees of this town have the most fabulous health benefits package on the face of the earth. They get 100% of everything paid. Also, the Town funds all employees as if they use that benefit, whether they do or not. There's money there. The benefits package is phenomenal, and this is a major cost to us," Sanborn said. Sanborn also said that eh thought the idea of another Town Meeting was a great idea. "This has been a rude awakening and at another meeting you would get a lot more diverse crowd. Don't attack programs that are essential to the town."

Parks and Rec Director Dean Bennett said that his Department was one of the only ones that brings in revenues to the Town. Removing the Assistant Director would remove those revenues, since he is directly responsible for bringing them in.

Bennett also pointed out that The Assistant Director is responsible for programs that occur on weekends and nights, and since he has been on the Community Center grounds during those times, vandalism has decreased, Bennett said. "This is an investment in your community," Bennett said. Bennett offered to cut an additional $6,000 from other areas of his budget if the Council would allow it. The Assistant Director receives a salary of $22,527 and no benefits.

In the end, the Council decided to keep half of the salary in the regular budget and expect the other half to come from the enterprise budget, paid from revenues generated from Parks and Rec programs.

The Council and public spoke further as to the town meeting ramifications. Former Councilor Jack Goosetrey was forceful in his opinion that the Town Meeting result was a travesty. "Where in the hell were people? We have 5,000 people in this town who didn't come. It's their fault we are having this problem. The people here in this town just don't' give a damn."

Goosetrey's comment brought forth an angry Thelma Mitchell, who retorted that she didn't attend Town meeting, held on a Saturday morning, because she coaches softball, and "twelve little girls depend on me to show up. I do care about the town, and I show my care through my service to the town."

Mike Salvetti also spoke to Goosetrey's comment. "I realize that it is time that you are gnashing teeth over these terrible cuts you are forced to make. I would remind you, that the total budget approved at Town meeting was a 5% increase over last year's budget. It is not a reduction," Salvetti stated.

He continued, "Also, Jack said that people don't care and don't show up. Well, this year was a record turnout. Far from being a vacuum of public input, you heard loud and clear what the people wanted and what they can afford. The cuts…there are emotional cords, I agree. But please step back and think of the 1% tax cap hanging over you. This is a weak warm-up and minimal practice for what you will have to face next year when it passes."