Town of Ashland Fiscal Year 2016 Budget

Revenue Property Taxes, Local Receipts, Other

Total property tax levy is projected to rise $1.6 million Average tax bill is $220 less than Metrowest average

State Aid is level funded between FY15 Recap and FY16

Municipality 2015 Average Single Family Tax Bill 2011 DOR Income Per Capita 2012 EQV Per CapitaTax LevyState Aid Local Receipts Other Revenue Total Budget Tax Levy % of Budget State Aid % of Budget Total Tax Levy Grafton5,62040,648126,75735,492,11512,258,7577,009,6203,976,72558,737, ,492,115 Wilbraham5,68339,721118,47533,341,4121,461,9767,686,7122,141,63944,631, ,341,412 Ipswich6,17944,977183,43233,395,6226,948,0908,091,9492,704,31851,139, ,395,623 Amesbury6,38931,353118,58137,877,46112,051,9169,830,6741,575,86361,335, ,877,461 Northborough 6,48550,038180,96042,977,1245,310,9838,878,8812,389,17559,556, ,977,124 Ashland6,55542,176132,40938,480,6287,181,44716,280,3222,405,33764,347, ,480,628 Medway6,61042,181132,96131,550,69311,727,8188,438,1782,224,59653,941, ,550,694 Littleton6,72442,066173,09830,427,0495,251,1757,260,7732,127,63245,066, ,427,049 Holliston7,49547,765151,56140,577,50611,652,3406,909,5504,975,55464,114, ,577,504 Comparison Communities

Other revenue including indirect, stabilization fund, and revolving funds to be reduced by $510,000 Why reduce the stabilization fund draw to zero? Major borrowing projected in the near and mid-term future QECB and school roof borrowing in April Public Safety Building and new school in several years Rising interest rate environment Not a good practice (Checkbook analogy)

Reserves Municipality 2015 Average Single Family Tax Bill Free Cash as % of Total Budget FY2015 Stablization Fund Balance FY2015 Stab Fund as % of Budget Total Reserves as a Percentage of Budget Moody's Bond Rating S&P Bond Rating Grafton5, %3,424, %10.40%Aa2AA+ Wilbraham5, %1,774, %8.93%Aa2 Ipswich6, %1,300, %5.58%Aa2 Amesbury6, %1,215, %4.47% AA Northborough6, %3,686, %12.79%Aa2 Ashland6, %3,922, %8.12%Aa2AA+ Medway6, %3,917, %10.19%A1AA+ Littleton6, %1,934, %17.19%Aa2AAA Holliston7, %5,884, %10.26%Aa2AA+ 1.Department of Revenue recommends Free Cash be at 3%-5% of total budget 2.Of comparable communities, Ashland is ranked 7 out of 9 when looking at total reserves 3.Of comparable communities, Ashland is ranked 8 out of 9 when looking at free cash figure as a percentage of budget 4.Community with the lowest amount of total reserves (Amesbury) is rated AA by Standard & Poors; community with the highest (Littleton) is rated AAA

Revised Revenue Summary FY15FY16 Property Taxes38,287,11639,910,832 Local Receipts4,332,7954,402,272 State Aid7,237,0767,181,447 Other2,087,9851,577,399 Total51,944,97253,071,950 Increase (Decrease)1,126,978

Expenditures

Original Projection 1/31/2015 Increased Revenue1,141,786 Non-exluded Debt Service427,325 Excluded Debt Service952 Benefits & Insurance-196,063 Remaining to Be Appropriated909,572 30% - General Government272,872 70% - School Department636,700

Benefits and insurance are projected to decrease $207,000 from the previous year, based on: Increased pension assessment Decreased health insurance costs Level funded other insurance

Original Request$10,272,592Represents a $941,389 increase from the previous year Administration Elimination of Performance Management Program$20,000Possible loss of identified efficiencies/limited new initiatives Elimination of proposed Economic Development Director position$80,000Hampers econ dev prog; reduces potential for comm tax base increases Website redesign$25,000Will stay with existing website/limits improvements Reduction in legal budget$20,000Potential exposure Elimination of proposed Technology Staff$60,000impact to staff efficiency-lack of desktop support/slows tech imp Public Works and Buildings Reduction in maintenance and supplies$11,900Deferred maintenance / premature failure of equipment, etc. Highway reduction$111,715Reduction of proposed work crew Move FT Energy Manager back to Part Time$23,052Impacts perf. Cont. monitoring/inc workload-other staff/limits new init. Development Services Elimination of mandated MS4 permit compliance activities$50,000compliance issue with DEP/EPA mandates; likely move to fee-based sys Public Safety Layoff of of three (3) crossing guards $39,916 Schools would be resp for crossing guards Reducing full-time dispatcher to part-time Redeployment of School Resource Officer (SRO)$17,760Officer redeployed because 1 retiring will not be backfilled Reducing overtime for court appearances$5,000Potential lost revenue Reduction in training$23,969Potential exposure/non-compliance due to Inexperienced workforce Uniform$2,700 Reduction in firearms and simunitions$4,712Impact to Public Safety-Currency/recency Misc$4,700 Ambulance Repairs - Fire$5,000Def. Maintenance/impact to Public Safety/higher out of service time Training - Fire$10,000Impact to Public Safety-Compliance EMS Supplies$3,600Impact to Public Safety Health and Human Services Eliminate funding to complete administrative order$25,000Impact to closing the reshaping of Cap/complaince/DEP Reduce materials line in library budget$3,621Jeopardizes compliance with SBLC Eliminate increased hours for staff$15,138Elimin possibility of YA Libr. on weekdays at 2:00PM; 5 hours Friday PM Eliminate new Senior Center Programs$4,215 Contractual Increases Reserve$91,514 Total Reductions$658,512 Adjusted Request$9,614,080

Appropriated Expenses General Government9,341,2099,614,080 Ashland Public Schools25,457,58926,094,289 Keefe Tech1,624,188 Non-Excluded Debt Service1,362,4901,789,815 Excluded Debt Service1,956,6601,957,612 Capital Outlay748,267 Benefits & Insurance9,009,4758,799,647 Reserve Fund400,000 Snow & Ice285,200 OPEB Stabilization Fund Stabilization Fund Total Appropriated Expenses50,185,07851,313,098 Total All Expenses51,944,97253,015,866 Revised Increase in Expenses (Decrease)1,070,894 Revised Increase in Revenue1,126,978 Additional Revenue to Be Appropriated56,084