By Sue Ellen Woodcock
Town Manager James McKenna said it best Tuesday night at the annual Spring Forum when he said, “Winthrop is worth it, and we’re proving it.â€
As McKenna explained, the Spring and Fall forums are required by the Town Charter. The Spring forum typically focuses on budgeting and other spending matters. The Fall forum focuses on the delivery of town services. Department heads followed McKenna with updates on work.
Mike Perez, the new chief financial officer, said the FY17 budget is a work in progress at this point. The total budget is approximately $57.16 million with $46.6 million in the general fund or 82.4 percent, $9.9 million in Enterprise funds and $153,000 in revolving funds.
“The biggest cost we have is people,†Perez said.
He has added new account codes for transparency. Employee benefits for school employees have been moved to the school department budget. Perez noted that 65 percent of the revenue comes from property taxes and 23 percent from state aid.
On the side of expenses, 49 percent comes from the education budget, 15 percent from public safety and 13 percent from employee benefits.
McKenna outlined the major initiatives for the upcoming budget year. He would like to combine the sewer/water enterprise funds. The regional E-911 system with Revere is expected to go online this year. McKenna also wants to increase the Winthrop Public Library budget so the number of days the library is open increases to six days a week. He added that there is also a need for staffing support: the addition of a Deputy Police Chief, administrative support for the town clerk and assessors office, tech support in the MIS department, a part-time Conservation Agent and support for the regional health and opioid task force.
“There’s a lot of promise in our future,†McKenna said.
In the area of capital planning, McKenna said there will be some funding from free cash for a comprehensive zoning rewrite, improvements to Kennedy Drive, a rubberized surface for the Cummings School playground, a 10-wheel dump truck for the DPW department, sidewalk and tree programs, a new roof and clock at the old E.B. Newton School, a new gazebo at Ingleside Park and the use of a second tandem trash barrel town wide.
Other notable expenses will be funding for utilities at the middle school, first year operating support for the ferry, the restoration of one firefighter position and new fire safety equipment.
In the Department of Public Works, Director Steve Calla said there are seven active projects going on right now: the radio read water meter project, contract 4 of the water and sewer infrastructure project, the tide gates at Veterans Road and the Point Shirley drainage project. Also the Coughlin Park Green Infrastructure feasibility study, the Miller Field Project and the Belle Isle Trails Project.
Fire Chief Paul Flanagan spoke about the need for a new fire station. The Pauline Street station was built in 1897 and the Shirley Avenue station was built in 1905. In 1977 an addition was put on the compensate a ladder truck. Neither station is ADA compliant and $75,000 was spent last year on plumbing and electrical issues. Containers are being used on Pauline Street for storage because of a wet basement. His suggestion is to renovate both stations or construct a new central fire station.