Elections, Police OT Running Over Budget

While most budget line items are running on track in Windham, a few areas have been overexpended for the first half of 2012, including elections, police overtime and dispatch overtime.

The election budget is over by $4,459, but according to Town Finance Director Dana Call that is pending the submission of hours for Supervisors of the Checklist.

Lengthier ballots due to the number of items in March led to more printing costs.

A total of $9,000 was appropriated for ballots in 2012, with $14,459 being spent. Two elections also remain this year with the fall primary and general election slated.

According to a narrative of the budget drafted by Call, the police overtime budget has been significantly overexpended through the second quarter due to the unforseen extended absence of several patrol officers due to injury, disability and retirements.

The police overtime expenditures are already $30,861 over what was appropriated for 2012.

Call added that some offsetting savings are reflected in the regular salary line item, and that Police Chief Gerald Lewis will continue to watch the budget overage.

Lewis also said that police details have significantly dropped from where they were in 2011.

Turnover in the department has caused the dispatch overtime line item to be overexpended, with offsetting savings also reflected in the regular salary line item. The overtime line has already been expended close to 85 percent.

The part-time dispatcher has also been covering shifts, causing an overexpenditure in the Social Security line item.

Legal expenses have also been a bit higher than anticipated due to a costs incurred for law firms and arbitrators in settling outstanding grievances.

All budgets also show an increase in health insurance percentage spent due to what Call refers to as a "portion of the annual premiums to be paid from the Health Expendable trust. Some of that will be offset by employees coming off the plan.

Call's update also indicated that vehicle fuel is running within what was expected for both unleaded and diesel, with the year to date prices lower than what was budgeted.

In her update, Call also noted an item regarding the Earned Time Trust account in reference to three employees who have left the town this year.

Due to three long-standing employees that have retired so far this year, approximately $77,500 in accumulated earned time due to these employees has been preliminarily paid out of (the) regular salary portion of the budget. For the first time since 2007, the operating budget (Police and Administration specifically), will not be able to absorb these payouts, and we may have to withdraw some, if not all, from the Earned Time Trust account to reimburse the operating budget. This will be analyzed further and presented to the Board at a later date.

Call also listed several revenue line items, indicating that most are within expectations. She said that the town will watch two more months of activity to determine whether budgeted amounts remain reasonable.

That is for preliminary consideration of the tax rate setting, which is due by Sept. 1.

According to Call, budgetary savings are also expected in both retirement and insurance.