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Lanesborough Selectmen Unhappy With Mount Greylock Budget Increases
By Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
02:11AM / Wednesday, April 29, 2015
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The Selectmen are asking for the School Committee to lower its assessment request to the $86,974 number the town officials had begrudgingly agreed to accept.
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen are not happy with Mount Greylock's decision to add $42,100 into the budget after the town conceded to a 3.3 percent assessment increase.
 
The Selectmen on Monday said they want to send a letter to school officials asking for that money to be withdrawn from the approved budget despite the town administrator's opinion that it isn't worth fighting over.
 
"We have to draw a line somewhere," said Selectman Henry "Hank" Sayers. 
 
Town Administrator Paul Sieloff first suggested giving the school a 1 percent increase in assessment, which was about $26,000.
 
However, school officials said that wasn't possible, saying they needed more than a 7 percent increase in assessment to maintain level services. Ultimately, the school pared that down to an $86,974 assessment, which is 3.3 percent higher than last year.
 
By that point, the Elementary School budget was becoming more clear and ultimately cut $182,000 out of its budget. Sieloff suggested using some of those savings to help make up the gap between the town and the school. Sieloff then crafted a budget around the 3.3 percent increase.
 
The same night Sieloff presented his budget to the Finance Committee in Lanesborough, the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee voted in an additional $42,100 to its budget, resulting in an assessment of $102,870 — $15,896  more than anticipated. The budget increase was for $33,000 to support one late bus run to each town and $9,100 for middle school team meetings.
 
The Selectmen echoed sentiments the Finance Committee voiced last week when that committee refused to support the budget until the members have more information from the school. Sieloff said Finance Committee member Ronald Tinkham and he are scheduled to meet with school officials about the budget this week.
 
Tinkham says state aid projections — particularly with regional transportation — have gone up and the school will have those funds to operate the late bus.
 
Nonetheless, Sieloff still  believes the $15,896 is too little to risk fighting over. The budget is currently balanced, he said, and the risk of throwing off all of the finances is too great for such a small amount of money.
 
"It isn't worth risking a war on the town floor at meeting because we risk all kinds of things can happen," Sieloff said, referring to changes that can throw the town's entire finances off. 
 
Should Mount Greylock be adamant about the funds, it could lead to holding a districtwide vote. Next year, the town won't have the luxury to absorb a large assessment increase so school officials will have to come down on their request then, Sieloff said.
 
"I am hesitant on going to war over this," he said.
 
Education spending is of particular concern for town officials with Sieloff saying, with benefits and insurance in the town's budget for school employees, the total spending on education is more than 70 percent of total spending. The town is calling for dramatic changes in the school systems.
 
"I understand we are down several hundred students and we have the same number of teachers," said Chairman John Goerlach, calling for an audit to be done on the staffing like Lanesborough Elementary School had done, which led to the elimination of some seven positions.
 
Selectman Robert Ericson, a former Mount Greylock School Committee member, said teacher contracts are expiring soon and that's when the town can make a bigger impact on the budget. 
 
"We have to weigh in on the teacher contract end of things because right now, that is the biggest expense in the school," Ericson said. "We need to get involved in those negotiations." 
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