Dear fellow Hanoverians:
There has been quite a bit of discussion lately about the impending budget
cuts for Fiscal Year 2011 in the Town of Hanover. The town has asked EVERY
department that is funded by the General Fund (read: our taxes, etc.) to
provide a level-funded budget for FY’11. Exact details will be forthcoming
as we get closer to Town Meeting, but already there are rumblings about the
cuts that will be necessary in almost every department in order to meet
rising costs and still reach level funding. Please understand that a "level
funded budget" means reductions. Since this is the second year in a row of
"level funding", this is the third year that the town departments have been
asked to live with the same budget number.
The School Committee will be presenting its Fiscal Year 2011 budget to the
Advisory Committee at 7:15 p.m. on February 24th in the first floor hearing
room at Town Hall. In order to meet the level funding request, the School
Committee has offered up such solutions as cutting 4 of the 6 kindergarten
aides.
As Suzanne Brady, chair of the School Committee has said:
"At the numbers we are working with, the school committee budget comes up
approximately $1.4 million dollars short for next year. We are fortunate to
have an approximate $500,000 offset from the Federal grants – ARRA/SFSF, but
this still leaves us approximately $847,000 short. We had to make some very
hard decisions to meet this request."
While it is not the role of ATOTW to offer opinions or attempt to persuade,
it is absolutely my intention to continue to provide factual information
that will keep you up to date as we move forward toward Town Meeting. I
urge you to send me any updates as you learn of them because I can only be
so many places at once!
For "Around Town on the Web",
Cathy H-B
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