Councilors unanimously approved funding a capital improvement stabilization account, funding a police cruiser for $32,000, and setting the compensation for the council, Planning Board and School Committee at zero, something that prompted discussion among the members.
PALMER - The Town Council approved a fiscal 2012 budget of $30.5 million at its meeting this week, a nearly 4 percent decrease from the prior year's budget of $31.7 million.
The vote was 7 to 1 on Monday night, with District 4 Councilor Donald Blais Jr. voting against it. At-large Councilor Karl S. Williams was absent.
Blais said he was making a statement about the budget process with his vote, saying he felt the council was "cutting it too close" as the new fiscal year begins July 1.
"I must express my deep frustration at how the process has worked . . . It's simply unacceptable," Blais said, adding that people around town have expressed the same sentiments to him.
He said the council received its first copy of the budget in March, and has had two meetings - the most recent was last week - that had to be canceled due to lack of a quorum. He said councilors knew about the June 13 meeting for a month, and the budget was supposed to be voted on that night.
"Next year," Blais said, "we need to do a better job. We owe it to the people."
Council President Eric A. Duda said he is delighted that the recreation director position finally is being funded. The charter-required position was always cut during the budget process, due to a lack of funds, until this year.
Councilors unanimously approved funding a capital improvement stabilization account, funding a police cruiser for $32,000, and setting the compensation for the council, Planning Board and School Committee at zero, something that prompted discussion among the members.
At-large Councilor Michael R. Magiera said the new council should look into compensating these positions to attract candidates. Magiera noted that in last week's election, there were 18 candidates for 17 positions.
"It doesn't have to be a large figure," Magiera said.
At-large Paul E. Burns said it should be looked at, but much earlier in the budget process. Duda disagreed, saying he felt that people should run for office because they want to serve the community, not because they are getting paid to do it.
"Zero is what it should be set at," Duda said
The council also transferred $5,800 from the unemployment insurance account to elections to cover the cost of the June 14 election, $14,000 from that same account to cover fuel expenses, and $29,828 from that account to pay Acting Public Works Department Director Richard P. Kaczmarczyk accumulated vacation, sick and personal time. Kaczmarczyk is retiring at the end of the month.
It was the last meeting for the councilors who did not run for reelection, Duda, Magiera, Raymond J. Remillard and William S. Heilman.
"Bring your issues to the Town Council," Heilman said, "because they will listen to you."
Duda quoted fellow councilor Philip J. Hebert, who has said more people need to "get off the couch" and get involved.
The council held a moment of silence for former councilor Peter E. Pappas, also the former veterans' agent in town who passed away last week at age 87.