Thursday and it is finally garbage day.

Okay if you think Mother Nature dumped on us yesterday, it is nothing compared to what the governor did. 

Total receipt of aid from the state, we only lost just under $1,000.00.  Turn to page two on the cherry sheet and the assessments against the receipts has only been increased by $50,000.00.  Net effect, of course is our aid package is down $51,000.00.  

No wonder the Dems are so opposed to a trickle down economy.  It doesn't work for them in free enterprise, and they are showing you it also doesn't work in the taxes and fees scenario established last year more scenario.  Oh excuse me, it doesn't work unless you happen to be a city ... Okay, I am going to stop the rant there.

Why?  First, by the time the house and senate deal with the budget, there may be a fair chance the $51,000k deficit is erased.  We may even see a few, very few mind you, bucks thrown our way to do a little better than break even.  

Bottom line though, worse case scenario, budget projections for our little burb have just gone down the $51,000 less, plus the $100k less that had been put into the projected increase in state aid.  My guess, eventually end up in a $75,000 to $100,000 shortfall in state aid.

Looking at the silver lining, it could have been worse right?

Looking directly at the cloud hanging above our heads however, our problem is the simple fact that unless and until either the house proposal comes out, or the house and senate pass a joint local aid resolution, we cannot rely on anymore money. 

We have a dilemma or two to face also, starting real soon. February 12th.  

The refrain has all ready started up.  Sell.  It won't take long for the volume of that cry to rival the floor of the stock exchange in a bear market to dump off falling stock.  We can sell a parcel or two, or three, or four.  

Biggest mistake we can make going forward is to use the proceeds to offset operations.  

Not an unacceptable position to buy some time to get the lay of the land so to speak.  Shear lunacy to do when you have an extremely foreseeable reality of what lays ahead and that forecast is clearly more of the same.

Here is that reality.  First, sooner rather than later you run out of things to sell.  Sooner or later you will see more and more requests for building repair and maintenance,  some all ready moving for a new building.  Big and expensive replacement equipment.  

Salaries, well we see what is happening there.  We will see the lay of the land for some soon, and the rest later.  

I think I mentioned the pension amount for the FY 2015 budget. $2,548,729.   FY 2019, the funding schedule will make it $3,009,098.

Health Insurance, well we luck out this year.  No increase in the rates is likely needed.  what are the odds of that over the next 5 years?  If you are lucky, and assume the total increase in 5 years would be a simple increase at 10%, well in 2019 that means another $445,000 (rounded). General insurance.  Anyone expect general insurance (i.e. building, auto, liability, worker's comp.) to remain the same?

I know same old song and dance.  One people are tired of listening to, and you wonder why because most don't seem to be listening at all.

Something gives here folks, and this year.  Whether it is jobs, roads, building repair, perks whatever. something needs to give. 

Best part, ultimately you (as in Town Meeting) get to decide.

That is it for today.  

Be safe.