Cuts not so Deep – Wynne, Finance Commission step up

The additional cuts to the fiscal year 2010 budget were announced Tuesday night and subsequently voted in by the Town Council, which was forced to slice $772,000 from the original budget because of a larger than anticipated revenue shortfall and the reduction in local aid from the state.

However, thanks to some diligent work by Finance Commission Chairman Robert Wynne and the other members of the board, as well as the efforts of Town Manager James McKenna, the budget has been reworked so there won’t be any additional cuts to the town’s work force.

Wynne and member Jan Twombly delivered their recommendations to the council that they accept McKenna’s budget amendment. The commission recommended that one vacant position each in the police and fire departments and one vacant position in the DPW (Department of Public Works) not be filled at this time. We believe our public safety leaders, Fire Chief Paul Flanagan and Executive Officer in Charge of the Winthrop Police Department Terence Delehanty will make the adjustments in their staffing to make these recommendations work, as will DPW Director Dave Hickey.

The lone increase in revenue, estimated at $67,000 from the local option meals and hotel tax adopted last week by the council gave the Finance Commission some degree of flexibility in the budget.

These are difficult times that Winthrop and communities throughout Massachusetts are facing, but with the expertise of volunteers like Bob Wynne, Jan Twombly, and others, the town has been able to find the best solution and strategy to maintain the level of services residents have come to expect, at least through this fiscal year.