Athol’s Capital Program Committee cuts project list by half to tackle $1.8M deficit

ATHOL – Following discussions on a plan to reduce the town’s $1.8 million deficit, the Capital Program Committee voted to reduce its list of recommended projects by almost half.

The original list of recommended FY27 projects totaled approximately $806,000, but at its meeting on April 22, the committee cut nearly $400,000 from this. The remaining recommendations total just over $409,000.

The reason behind the cuts, said CPC Chair Jim Smith, is that Town Manager Shaun Suhoski has urged the committee to fund its budget out of the capital stabilization fund, rather than the town’s free cash, which is the traditional source for these projects.

Allowed by M.G.L. Chapter 40, Section 5B, a capital stabilization fund is used to set aside money for high-cost capital projects, such as major equipment purchases or infrastructure improvements. These funds are built up over time, while free cash – unrestricted revenue remaining from the previous fiscal year – is often, but not always, available each year.

“We’ve worked hard for seven years to build up the stabilization fund,” said Smith at a previous meeting. “The stabilization fund is for a rainy day, and it’s raining now.”

Suhoski intends to use $1.1 million of the $1.6 million in free cash available as part of his two-year plan to balance the town’s deficit, which came about following the defeat of two Proposition 2 ½ overrides earlier this year.

“We’re basically going to cut down this ($806,000) figure,” Smith told the committee at the start of its April 22 meeting. “We’re going to be taking it out of our stabilization fund, and I’m not comfortable taking that whole $806,000 out of it.”

The committee did endorse its original plan to spend $93,000 for a new police cruiser.

“This is something I want to keep on this capital plan,” Smith said. “We’ve been doing this for years and it has been successful. We replace one cruiser every year.”

Noting that several of his department’s cruisers have high mileage, Police Chief Jarrett Mousseau said, “My worry is, if we don’t fund this this year, it’s just going to compound our problems and I’ll be back asking for two cars next year.”

Mousseau also stressed the new vehicle would not be the “chief’s cruiser.”

“This is a line cruiser,” he said.

Smith asked Mousseau if he could reduce his request for funding repairs to the police station from $60,000 to $40,000. The chief said he had re-assessed the budget for repairs since his last meeting with the committee “and I’m actually up over $70,000.” The station suffered extensive damage when a broken sprinkler flooded the building last fall. Much, but not all, of the damage is covered by insurance. The cost of repairs is estimated at more than $1 million.

The committee agreed to support the purchase of the $93,000 cruiser and stood by its earlier decision to recommend $60,000 for station repairs. However, it did rescind its initial support for $50,000 Mousseau had requested for records management.

Members also agreed to cut $85,000 for the purchase of a new cruiser for the fire chief. Cuts made to items for public works included $75,000 for a new pickup truck, $25,000 for new/used equipment, and $50,000 for drainage repair. The committee also reduced its recommendation for non-Chapter 90 road work from $175,000 to $100,000.

The committee also reduced its recommendation for funding for the Rabbit Run Rail Trail. The committee originally recommended $125,000 as part of the town’s grant match for a $500,000 MassTrails grant to begin development of the trail near the Bidwell property off South Athol Road.

The CPC cut its recommendation in half, to $62,500, and recommended the remainder be taken from the town’s grant match account. At the same time, the committee vetoed its earlier recommendation of adding $25,000 to that account for FY27.

The committee kept its recommendation for $24,000 for the purchase of new voting machines. The request for new machines was made by Town Clerk Nancy Burnham, who said the machines currently in use by the town are 10 years old. Brousseau, who sometimes works at the town’s polling site, told the committee he had on occasion witnessed Burnham and poll workers having problems with the machines.

Smith said the Capital Program Committee’s amended list of recommendations would be presented at a joint meeting of the CPC, the Selectboard, the Finance and Warrant Advisory Committee, town department heads, and Suhoski and his finance team at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28, in Liberty Hall at Town Hall.