TOWN MEETING RESUMES -

Town Meeting is about half way to completing the second half of this session. So far, Town Meeting has approved the budget amount for Public Safety (Police and Fire ), Community Services (LSSE, Health, Senior Center, Community Development, Public Works and Planning, Conservation and Inspections. The approved budget amounts are the amounts recommended by the Finance Committee and the Select Board. With a reduction in real cost of approximately 1.4% for both Town and School budgets and the recommendation to use up to $1,200,000.00 in town reserves, it would appear that Amherst will be able to close the budget discussion for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009. However, the changes are dramatic. Fourteen (14) positions for the town and approximately fifty (50) positions for the school will eliminated. Fees for services such as recreation and ambulance will be increased. Programs such as swimming will be greatly reduced. There is a great deal of pain with this budget and, in many ways, the outcomes of the budget deliberations will be permanent. However, I do believe that we have made significant advances against the structural deficit that has been previously defined. Now the question becomes whether we will be able to live with the reduced or eliminated programs identified.

Taste of Amherst was a tremendous success notwithstanding the rain. Many people were out to defy the weather forecasters and to enjoy the food and companionship.

Larry