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i <br /> Page 2 <br /> Finance Committee Member Address List and Liaison Assignment List. <br /> A copy is attached. <br /> Mr. Bacigalupi mentioned an article that he had seen in the <br /> newspaper regarding a 5.5% cost of living increase for a certain <br /> department. Mr. Bacigalupi felt that this was not setting a good <br /> example for other departments. Mr. Goggin agreed. He stated that <br /> revenues were only increasing 2 1/2% and some salaries are being <br /> increased by 5 1/2%. Department Heads cannot keep the same level <br /> of service for their departments if salaries are increasing 5 1/2%. <br /> Salaries are increasing twice the rate of revenues. Mr. Bacigalupi <br /> explained that the guidance from the Selectmen's Office is for <br /> Department Heads not to plan for pay raises. The Finance Committee <br /> did agree that the Executive Secretary had done an excellent job <br /> preparing his budget packet to be completed by Department Heads. <br /> Finance Comiittee Budget <br /> Mr. Goggin asked the recording secretary to prepare the budget to <br /> be submitted to the Executive Secretary's Office. He also <br /> mentioned how important it was to send mailings to residents prior <br /> to the two town meetings. The other members agreed. The Committee <br /> agreed to request a budget of $5,000. The following items make up <br /> the budget: Association of Town Finance Committees Dues $160; <br /> Meeting of the Town Finance Committees $90; Meeting of the <br /> Massachusetts Municipal Association $130; two mailings prior to <br /> Town Meetings $4,232; travel expenses for meetings listed above <br /> $240; plus $148 miscellaneous. The Finance Committee expects each <br /> mailing to cost .42 a piece for printing, .109 to mail each piece <br /> to 4,000 residences twice. The budget also requests a figure to be <br /> placed in the Reserve Fund. The past figure has been $100,000. <br /> Long Range Plan <br /> Mr. Bacigalupi gave out new charts regarding estimated growth. He <br /> stated that he felt the Town Planner's low growth estimates were <br /> the more correct numbers to go by. He would be speaking to the <br /> Town Planner again to request any updated data. Mr. Goggin stated <br /> that they would need a more current estimate to utilize in the <br /> Finance Committee's projections. He also stated that they needed <br /> to get new numbers from the Department of Revenue for the <br /> Foundation Budget. Mr. Goggin stated that the Finance Committee <br /> would have to do their best using any updated enrollment figures <br /> and the DOR numbers they have currently. <br /> Other Business <br /> Mr. Bacigalupi mentioned that the Selectmen have advised certain <br /> departments to increase their staffing. Mr. Goggin stated that the <br /> Selectmen cannot advise one department to increase their budget by <br /> $20,000 and not take it from another department. The Finance <br /> Committee asked the recording secretary to request that the <br />