• All committees, departments and commissions were sent a letter on 10/11 from Fincom explaining that there is a $3.3 million town-wide shortfall for FY07 based on delivery of level service. The school's share of that is $2.3 million based on numbers on hand at that time.  All entities are being asked to provide the same as has been asked of the SC - FY07 level service budget and a budget with 8% cuts from that as well as a statement of impact on services should the cuts be made.  The Fincom will evaluate if critical services are being cut too much as they decide what type of budget to recommend to the Board of Selectmen (BoS). 
• Ad Hoc Budget Advisory Group was formed late last spring with the mission to reduce the shortfall.  It is due to make recommendations in Dec.  The Ad Hoc group has no power to implement.  It is up to individual committees, departments and commissions to vote as to implementation. Minutes of this ad hoc group are on the town's website and the recommendations will be posted as well at: Wayland FY07 Ad Hoc Budget Advisory Committee Agendas and Minutes.
• Fincom has put together a subcommittee to examine if the magnitude of overrides is "chronic" in '08, '09 and '10.  Feeling is that it may be and the only hope to avoid this magnitude in overrides is with a  cap on all variable costs.
• The budget is so tight, Fincom strongly discourages any cash articles from petitioners as if any are passed, further cuts would need to be made (articles that would appear in the annual or special town meeting warrant).
• Wayland is not alone:  Sudbury has had 3 successive overrides and has capped this year's budget so there will not be an override (the last one passed by only 90 votes); Of the 15 towns considered our peer group based on affluence and other factors, only 2 have never had an operating override fail (Weston and Carlisle); Winchester and Concord both lost overrides last year.  Wellesley lost a portion of an override (it was 2 tiered) and lost their entire language program (by 17 votes).  Wayland is on the lowest end of the tax increases in this peer group.
• There will be an opportunity for a plan that falls between level service and an 8% cut. 
• This is the beginning of a process.

• The school committees current projected level service budget is higher by $150,000 than what the Fincom had to work with due to higher energy costs, SPED (6 students were placed outside the district which means substantive costs incurred by our district) and some salary issues.  The total salary budget changes as teachers earn degrees (lane changes) and other teachers retire.  Teachers generally notify the SC by the end of the year when they plan to retire (usually a three year notice which incurs some type of retirement package increase in pay or benefits for those three years - though I'm not clear on the specifics of this).  Fincom will get back to the SC about the impact of this increase in expenses on the guideline of the 8% cut.
• METCO is a state funded program that primarily pays for itself though there are some hidden costs.
• The SC will deliver the requested budgets to Fincom by Dec 2nd.

Submitted to Wayland eNews by Lisa Valone