Wrentham Seeking Solutions For Budget Deficit

Members of the Wrentham town government are working to resolve a projected $2.1 million deficit in the town's fiscal year 2012 budget.

Town Administrator William Ketcham said a number of solutions are being explored, including debt exclusion.

"A debt exclusion is when the voters of the town vote to exclude the cost of repaying town borrowing from the Proposition 2 1/2 levy limit," Ketcham said. "Presently, the town of Wrentham has done debt exclusion on a number of items, including the new Fiske Library, the King Philip High School and the junior high."

Ketcham, though, said such exclusions were not done for several town projects, including the public safety building and town hall.

"What's being considered is that we ask the townspeople to also exclude that debt," he said. "The cost of servicing the debt for next year would be $1.8 million — [exclusion] certainly would close a large portion of that gap."

Ketcham said the Board of Selectmen would be considering such a solution at their next meeting. He said the exclusion would have an advantage over an override, in that the tax increase brought about by an exclusion would expire when the date does.

According to Ketcham, another issue being explored is a change in the town's trash payment system.

"Presently, the town pays for trash collection out of property tax," he said. "The Board of Selectmen is authorized to enact a trash fee."

He said the board could also go before the town meeting and suggest an enterprise fund.

"That would make trash completely separate from the general fund," he said. "The revenue from trash would only go to trash-related expenses."

The issue will be discussed at the next selectmen meeting.