It has been very interesting and telling to observe the discussion over the proposed Town of Amherst budget and the effects of the loss of State Aid ($978,000 for 2009; $2,800,000 for 2010). There are those who are pleased to understand that draconian cuts are not the exclusive option available to the Town to address the severe shortfall in revenue. As a result of some very wise decisions in the past, the Town now has the option to employ revenue it has generated from grants and the independent health insurance trust owned and operated by the Town. I will continue to look for strategic reductions that do not appreciably impact the ability of the organization to deliver services. I will also continue to work very hard on developing alternative revenue sources which have already generated over $400,000. for next year. Leisure Services and Supplemental Education (LSSE) Department has implemented dramatic changes in the number of programs and how those programs are administered. Specifically, LSSE has reduced staff by one position and increased revenue for programs by over $181,000. The Fire Department has also seen an important increase in revenue of over $200,000. These increases in revenue are a result of the investment that the Town has made in capacity and is the reason why Amherst has more options going forward to address our budgetary challenges.
The Winter Fest at Cherry Hill Golf Course last weekend was great. The weather was fantastic and the community responded with great attendance. It was wonderful to see the community enjoy this tremendous asset.
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