Town Manager's Office Urges Residents to Vote for Override

Most communities budget year-to-year without the benefit of long-term financial planning.  Under the direction of the Board of Selectmen coupled with the management of the Town Manager’s Office, Winchester has produced, unlike other surrounding communities, a long-term solution to the FY2012 – FY2014 fiscal budgets.  On February 15th, 2011, Winchester issued the Town Manager’s FY2012 Budget which included a three-year financial plan with and without a general operating override of $1,440,000. In order to balance the FY2012 budget without an override, over $700,000 in budget reductions were required.  Presently it is projected that we will have an additional deficit in FY2013 of $1.5M and $1M in FY2014.

In November 2010, the Board of Selectmen passed an Operating Reserves Policy.  Built into our budgets with or without an override is the recommendation to responsibly utilize “operating reserves” to balance the budget over the next three years.  In order to benefit from our Aaa rating, it is imperative to wean ourselves off of the use of “free cash” to balance each year’s budget.  In prior years these funds have been used to soften the budget cuts, and if this trend were to continue over the next three years it could lead to the complete depletion of the operating reserves.

Approximately 77% of the Town’s revenue is derived from our residential tax base.  Under the requirements of proposition 2 ½ the Tax levy may only increase by 2.5% per year plus allowable new growth.

 The reductions that will be required should the override not be successful will be deep town-wide service reductions impacting Schools, Library, Public safety, field and building maintenance.  Our commitment to the Board of Selectmen and the taxpayers of Winchester is to maximize savings and efficiencies while minimizing the impact to vital services. 

 Additionally we prepared a second three-year financial model that assumes the passage of an override.  An integral part of this plan is the establishment of moderate growth rates for expenditures by implementing thoughtful cost reductions due to consolidations, privatization, regionalization etc.  

As your leadership in the Town Manager’s office, we encourage all electors to log onto www.winchester.us and click on the Annual Town Election page on the homepage to review the information concerning the Town Manager’s Budget and the Election Warrant as well as some factual information on the cost impact to you as a homeowner in Winchester.  We support the override on Tuesday, March 29, 2011, and we hope you will as well.

Mary Ellen Lannon                                                                           Mark Twogood

Acting Town Manager                                                                Assistant Town Manager