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August 23. 2012 12:55AM
Londonderry council, library trustees at odds over budget report
LONDONDERRY — As town officials begin the process of taking a closer look at how each department manages its monthly expenses, frustrations flared at this week's Town Council meeting when Library Director Barbara Ostertag-Holtkamp declined to attend a scheduled public discussion.
Ostertag-Holtkamp had been scheduled to give an overview of the library's monthly budget report. But on Monday morning, the day of the Town Council meeting, Interim Town Manager Bill Hart and Council Chairman John Farrell received an email from Pauline Caron, chairman of the Leach Library trustees, informing them otherwise.
According to Caron, the library trustees held a special meeting last Friday to discuss Hart and the council's monthly reporting request. As part of the new plan, each department head has been tasked with filling out an official form detailing municipal expenditures.
Caron told Hart that the library director has already been providing a monthly budget performance report to the trustees for over a decade, and the trustees review those reports during their own monthly meetings.
Caron further noted that copies of those reports are made available to the public during those public meetings.
“We feel this report provides all the necessary information,” she told Hart.
While the trustees agree with the Town Council's goal of increased visibility in their expenditures, Caron said the trustees simply felt that the newly proposed monthly reporting form “would not provide sufficient additional information to justify increased staff time.”
As an alternative, the trustees agreed to place their monthly budget report in the library's reference area, allowing residents and town officials to view it at their leisure.
According to Finance Director Susan Hickey, the new form in question gave the library a targeted monthly budget to follow.
“If they go under or over budget, we'd ask them for an explanation,” Hickey said this week. “At the end of the year, the plan is to do a summary. The idea is to communicate with department heads and work together, so we're all making sure there's no situation come March or April, when the money just isn't there.”
Councilor Joe Green asked whether the form should be more user-friendly, but Hickey noted that the majority of other town departments managed to promptly submit the new forms. Fire Chief Kevin MacCaffrie, who sat in the audience at Monday's council meeting, said the form took him around 20 minutes to complete.
Councilor Tom Freda expressed his annoyance with the library trustees.
“Let's say it took them 40 minutes to complete the form,” said Freda. “I have some serious problems with them when they bring their budget (forward) because I'm wondering if they can handle the funds they already have.”
Freda suggested inviting the library trustees to attend next month's council session to explain themselves.
“Maybe we're just missing something here. Maybe we just don't get it?” he said.
April Guilmet may be reached at AGuilmet@newstote.com.
Ostertag-Holtkamp had been scheduled to give an overview of the library's monthly budget report. But on Monday morning, the day of the Town Council meeting, Interim Town Manager Bill Hart and Council Chairman John Farrell received an email from Pauline Caron, chairman of the Leach Library trustees, informing them otherwise.
According to Caron, the library trustees held a special meeting last Friday to discuss Hart and the council's monthly reporting request. As part of the new plan, each department head has been tasked with filling out an official form detailing municipal expenditures.
Caron told Hart that the library director has already been providing a monthly budget performance report to the trustees for over a decade, and the trustees review those reports during their own monthly meetings.
Caron further noted that copies of those reports are made available to the public during those public meetings.
“We feel this report provides all the necessary information,” she told Hart.
While the trustees agree with the Town Council's goal of increased visibility in their expenditures, Caron said the trustees simply felt that the newly proposed monthly reporting form “would not provide sufficient additional information to justify increased staff time.”
As an alternative, the trustees agreed to place their monthly budget report in the library's reference area, allowing residents and town officials to view it at their leisure.
According to Finance Director Susan Hickey, the new form in question gave the library a targeted monthly budget to follow.
“If they go under or over budget, we'd ask them for an explanation,” Hickey said this week. “At the end of the year, the plan is to do a summary. The idea is to communicate with department heads and work together, so we're all making sure there's no situation come March or April, when the money just isn't there.”
Councilor Joe Green asked whether the form should be more user-friendly, but Hickey noted that the majority of other town departments managed to promptly submit the new forms. Fire Chief Kevin MacCaffrie, who sat in the audience at Monday's council meeting, said the form took him around 20 minutes to complete.
Councilor Tom Freda expressed his annoyance with the library trustees.
“Let's say it took them 40 minutes to complete the form,” said Freda. “I have some serious problems with them when they bring their budget (forward) because I'm wondering if they can handle the funds they already have.”
Freda suggested inviting the library trustees to attend next month's council session to explain themselves.
“Maybe we're just missing something here. Maybe we just don't get it?” he said.
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April Guilmet may be reached at AGuilmet@newstote.com.
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