By JON BAKER

LINCOLN  —  Members of the Town Council and School Committee joined taxpayers in getting their first glimpse of Town Administrator T. Joseph Almond’s proposed $70.8 million FY 2009-10 spending plan, which he presented to the Budget Board at a meeting Thursday evening.

The lion’s share of the spending plan — $48.9 million — would help fund the School Department.
Producing breakdowns of a new fiscal year budget he said had been sliced and resliced, Almond recommended a $16.4 million municipal operating budget, representing a reduction of $1,039 from a year ago.
The School Department requested nearly $49.5 million, representing a 2.48 percent increase in spending over the current year. Factoring in a capital request for an additional $552,426 would bring school spending to almost $50.1 million — an increase of $1.7 million or 3.6 percent over current spending levels.
Almond noted it took him weeks of analysis to manufacture his recommendation to the board for school spending to $47,969,191 with a school capital budget of $542,567 for an entire appropriation of $48.5 million.
Almond explained that when accounting for $1.67 million in school surplus funds, the town would level-fund schools with a total of $40.1 million. However, a combined loss anticipated in state education aid, revenue sharing, and Medicaid reimbursement would result in a $330,809 (.67 percent) decrease over the current town contribution to its schools. 
“The recommended school operating budget provides an $186,191 spending increase over fiscal year 2008-09,” he said. “I would point out to (budget) board members that if the school department requires additional spending to preserve programs and positions (this fiscal year), the school budget contains $842,210 in scheduled wage increases beginning July 1, 2009.”
Almond framed the school expenditure as a good, but increasingly costly, investment. “In representing (the) school operating budget, I must emphasize that Lincoln enjoys an excellent school system that continues to serve the entire community well,” he stated. “Over the past two years, the school committee and school administrators have aggressively pursued cost reductions and spending controls. Unfortunately, we continue to face momentous fiscal restraints. The school budget, by its very scale, consumes almost 75 percent of all revenue. It is not with criticism, but with necessity, that the primary focus of my budget recommendation is related to school spending.”
Almond explained that from 2000-01 to 2008-09, local taxpayers have increased school spending by about $21.1 million, an increase of 78 percent, while state aid to education during the same period has risen by only $978,716 or 15 percent.
“We must join with school committee members and administrators to pursue a fair and equitable state school funding formula,” he said.
School committee members Tracey Cavanaugh and Richard Battistoni both were in attendance, and Battistoni told the board that he agreed with Almond, though “the school committee delivered a ‘bare-bones’ budget,” he said. “No one on the committee is an economist or a financial genius; we expect this to be part of a process.
“We understand these are tough economic times … (but), in an economy like this, there are people out there who can bear burden (of increased property taxes),” he continued. “I would also say schools should not be funded by property taxes.”
When it comes to municipal spending, Town Council member John Flynn (Lonsdale), explained that he’s witnessed municipal budget cuts for years, and worried about the impact of the cuts on the condition of roadways and sidewalks for all citizens, but especially seniors.
“To continue to ignore infrastructure — there are sidewalks and signs people can’t read anymore – I think the taxpayers are being short-changed when all the focus is on the school department budget,” Flynn stated. “I’m encouraging you, don’t forget about that part of the budget.”
Booth requested that an open dialogue be conducted between budget board members, the town administrator and other officials and the public. He also stated that he observed during a television news broadcast on Wednesday evening that Lincoln municipal employees were being lauded for their decision to have their own wages frozen, at least until June 30, 2010.
On Tuesday night, the Town Council voted unanimously to ratify a wage freeze for town employees representing five municipal unions — among them the police, rescue, town hall, library and public works departments.
Almond’s budget letter also requests that the School Committee pursue a similar wage freeze for teachers and school staff.
“You can’t say we’ll (cut spending) next year or the year after,” Almond said. “You just can’t do that anymore. It’s time to plan more than we ever have. We need to slow down and shrink our spending. (In the school system), enrollment has declined for over a decade, while staffing has increased. We can’t continue to do that. In 2000-01, we received 23 percent in state aid to education, (and) last year, 15 percent.”