A town-wide vote on the 2010 – 2011 proposed budget is scheduled for May 18.
At a town meeting Monday, residents voted to eliminate $50,000 in additional spending the town’s finance board wanted to use to hire lawyers and consultants.
Budget Overview
The $38.6 million budget includes about $25.4 million for education and about $13.2 million for town operations.
The budget increases spending in Oxford by about $1.5 million, or 4.24 percent.
The mill rate would increase to 21.07 — up from 20.44.
A property assessed at $250,000 would pay an additional $157 in taxes next year if voters approve the budget.
Finance Board Money Axed
Residents Monday subtracted $50,000 in spending the town’s finance board had recently inserted into the proposed spending plan.
The finance board’s insertion of cash for legal and professional fees for itself has been a bone of contention between the board and First Selectwoman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers.
Lila Ferrillo, chairwoman of the Board of Finance, said her board needed cash to pay lawyers because the Selectmen have denied her board’s previous request to hire its own lawyers.
“Sometimes in order for the board of finance to run properly we need another attorney to give an opinion,” she said.
Resident Kathy Johnson, a former Democratic Selectwoman, motioned to remove $20,000 for the board’s legal fees on the basis that it would set a “bad precedent” for the town.
Resident Jim Lyons said the funds could be better used for schools.
“This is not a good procedure,” he said.
Town attorney Francis Teodosio agreed, noting an “inappropriate” line item is a recipe for disaster.
“The money could be better spent, not for the town to chase itself around by the tail in legal battles,” he said.
Board of Education member Michael Macchio said eliminating the line item attempts to make the “town attorney an authority without opposition.”The motion to eliminate the $20,000 for legal fees passed by a 70 – 60 margin by hand count.
Next, resident Janice Hardy asked to cut $30,000 from the finance board that was to be used to hire consultants.
That motion passed by a margin of 77 – 58 by hand count.
The votes were a political win for Drayton-Rogers, a Democrat who has been at odds with the Republican majority on the finance board.
After the meeting, Drayton-Rogers said the voters did the right thing by cutting out $50,000.
“This request completely goes against the town charter,” she said. “It would be a waste of the taxpayer’s money.”
Ferrillo said decreasing the bottom line was a mistake.
“Now there are no checks and balances,” she said.
Residents additionally voted to accept the proposed $25,415,480 education budget which remained untouched during the budget workshop.
Next up for the town’s 2010 – 2011 budget — a referendum.
It is schedule for May 18 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Quaker Farms School.
Absentee ballots are available at the Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall.