Politics & Government

Stein: DPW Expenditures Are Not Fiscally Prudent

In a letter to the Board of Selectmen, resident Bob Stein questioned the town's leadership when it comes to fiscal responsibility.

Editor's Note: The following article is the content of an address prepared for the Board of Selectmen at Wednesday's meeting by resident and former Sudbury Finance Committee member Bob Stein.

What is your opinion on the topic? Do you agree with the purchases made for the Department of Public Works, or do you think the cost was excessive? Let us know in the comments section below.
On Wednesday, I appeared at the BOS to discuss concerns with the fiscal management of our community by town manager Valente and a few selectmen. My comments were as follows:

As presented last discussion, I, and others were part of a vote that disapproved DPW capital expenditures as proposed by the Town Manager. They did not seem fiscally prudent, nor were they recommended by the very same Director which the investment would benefit.  

The action to spend two times more than the DPW requested was decided by Town Manager, and Chairman Woodard through the his leadership of the Strategic Finance Planning Committee. Sudbury Town Manager, Maureen Valente, with vocal support of Mr. Woodard, Mr. O’Brien, and Mr. Simon, all of whom appeared at FINCOM meeting lobbying for the excess DPW spending were behind this initiative. Their actions and comments support they are on an activist path to maintain Sudbury’s tax levy at current levels, and not honor the commitment made to taxpayers that there would be property tax relief from debt retirement as voters were promised when the debt was approved. 

The current fiscal situation in Sudbury allowed these people to do what they do. In the past few years alone, Sudbury has generated upwards of 7 million dollars in free cash.  Free cash sources from budget items not funded.  It’s a budget excess.  The town is then allowed to spend it as they wish at town meeting.  This year at town meeting, the Town Manager proposed, and a majority of the usual 200 voters who attend town meeting, supported spending of millions of dollars of taxpayers money, much under the guise of what they say is free cash, and I say is budget excess.  

This is perfectly legal but terribly wrong and completely lacked transparency to Sudbury taxpayer.  Voters need to understand free cash is generated from budget excess. The new trump is that the Town Manager and certain members of the BOS as mentioned now feel comfortable pushing expenditures through town meeting that the voters historically may not support. The town manager proposed these articles to spend free cash, even if the receiving department didn’t ask for it, like the DPW.  Then once the free cash is all spent, the BOS endorsed going to the voters for items voters historically support, like public safety. This is not to say that taxpayers wouldn’t support DPW, yet remember he didn’t even request what Town Manager wanted to spend, and the Town Manager couldn’t make the argument with public records that showed he didn’t ask for it.

Since I’ve mentioned the DPW spending twice now, let me provide the details supporting.

On January 29, the DPW Director requested the CAIC endorse his request for 6 trucks and 2 pieces of equipment.  A few days later, the same request was made to Strategic Finance Planning Committee. However, on February 4th, in her presentation to the town, the town manager increased the budget request to 13 trucks and 2 pieces of equipment.  When asked about the references of these changes in a discussion about why we were buying more equipment than what was previously requested by the DPW, the town manager informed FINCOM that we were taking the minutes too literally, that when he said 6, he didn’t mean 6.  He asked for 6 + 2, and when you add it all up, he received 13 + 2.

In summary, Sudbury spent money on trucks that were not requested, and the Town Manager and certain members of the BOS then asked the taxpayers to fund more taxes for a fire truck and ambulance. They could have paid for the fire truck and ambulance with the free cash, but they know best and want the taxpayers to know what their taxes will be rather than a reduction of taxes as promised. They are protecting the property tax levy so it remains at the current level.

Their goal to a seasoned finance person who follows the Town Manager and BOS meetings is clear; their comments at public meetings this year have also been clear, though I would strongly disagree with the messaging. They say, in the interest of taxpayers, “we want them to know what their taxes will be”. I say, they don’t want to allow property taxes to be lowered like was promised when debt expires.  Debt will expire at a pace of more than 3 million dollars each year for the next few years.     

Sudbury Town leadership has an integrity issue.  They know, as well as I, that they greatly struggle with the messaging and success of garnering voter support for operating budget overrides.  For years, no one believes that the budget is strapped.  Student levels are now reaching historic lows, and debt is retiring at millions of dollars each year.  Because they know they’ll get the support at town meeting, they are pulling out all the stops to keep taxes high by cushioning budgets which result in millions in free cash each year, and then spend free cash anyway they can, even when the department heads don’t ask for it.  All to keep the tax levy at its current level “in the interest of the taxpayer”.  This mechanism of spending this through town meeting is wrong.  Just because they can doesn’t mean they should.

The encouraging trend we’ve seen in recent years is Sudbury voters are starting to get it. Voters understand we have a leadership problem.  While many voters still greatly question the size and expenditure of the police department, they voted to support the police department and voted out two politicians, Drobinski and Robison, after each had served for more than 20 years. Voters want change, they are not against taxes, yet increasingly they expect town leadership to respect us as taxpayers, and be transparent, acting with integrity when it comes to town business and budgets.

Last week we honored the town manager and finance director for their award winning financial package presentation.  While this might be perceived honorable at face value to the non-financial person and to those residents who support their tactics, I, as a seasoned financial person, and someone that attends more meetings than perhaps any resident in town, they get a failing grade on transparency. The budgets disclosed in the town warrant do not even disclose the free cash generated.

Sudbury could use a little Sunshine in the way it conducts its business.

Robert Stein, 
Thompson Drive, Sudbury


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