Even though the proposed Chariho budget for fiscal year 2009-10 is $210,798 less than the current fiscal year, councilors from Charlestown and Hopkinton suggested further cuts at a public hearing last week.  Richmond didn’t give a clear opinion on the matter, but did suggest putting off the date of the voter referendum.  

With the proposed budget, Charlestown’s contribution increases 0.88 percent, or $122,919, while Richmond would pay 1.64 percent, or $292,690, less and Hopkinton’s share would decrease 0.23 percent, or $41,027.  

And while Supt. Barry J. Ricci said he thought the Chariho Regional School Committee had prepared a reasonable budget, it’s not enough for two towns.

With many unknowns surrounding upcoming state aid payments to municipalities, we side with those suggesting further cuts.  Currently, the towns have no way of predicting how much state aid they can hope to receive – even in this fiscal year. How can they begin to predict what they will get next year?  There are simply too many unknowns about the amount of aid towns can expect and the state of the economy in general.    

Hopkinton Town Council Vice President Sylvia K. Thompson suggested cutting $371,285, an amount that would level-fund Chariho’s proposed general fund budget.  She also suggested moving $500,000 from last year’s $2.3 million surplus to the proposed capital reserve budget.  

Charlestown Town Council President Marjorie F. Frank wanted to see the proposed Chariho budget cut $250,000.  
We too would err on the side of caution and reduce the proposed budget.  How about level funding or reducing all of it – given the declining enrollments and the state of the economy?   

Of course, the School Committee and the voters will ultimately decide. The committee voted on March 10 to adopt the budget as is.  Now, the budget will go before the voters in an all-day referendum on April 7. But the Richmond Council voted 5-0 to push back this date to May given all the uncertainty regarding state aid.

Not a bad idea but the School Committee voted that idea down, promising to be reasonable if state aid numbers are not set by then.  

Richmond Town Council Vice President Henry R. Oppenheimer said he doesn’t want to vote on the school budget before the governor releases state aid numbers.  And why would he?

If state aid is cut by 20 percent, Richmond would have a $1.1 million to $1.2 million shortfall to deal with.  And Hopkinton and Charlestown would find themselves in similar circumstances.