05/04/2007
East Windsor voters approve fund transfers
By:Kory Loucks , Journal Inquirer
EAST WINDSOR - Voters at a town meeting Thursday approved a variety of fund transfers.
About 25 residents and officials attended the meeting at Town Hall, with George Butencoff moderating the proceedings and Town Clerk Karen W. Gaudreau recording the results.
According to the Town Charter, any fund transfers greater than $20,000 must go to a town meeting for approval.
The transfers approved are:
* $28,217 to the town property account - $24,531 for electricity and $3,696 for sewer costs.
* $13,402 from the contingency 2 account to the Police Department salary fixed overtime account and $25,068 to the salary variable overtime account.
The Finance Board had withheld three-quarters of the approved overtime funds at the beginning of this fiscal year in a separate account in an effort to get a better understanding of the reasons for the overtime.
Former First Selectwoman Linda Roberts expressed concern last fall that voters might not approve the transfer of funds, even though they had already been approved in the budget, but the voters unanimously supported the transfers.
The contingency 2 account that was established last year to hold budgeted funds from the Police Commission's overtime budget is not going to be part of the 2007-08 budget.
Finance Board Chairman Paul E. Catino had said that there was not support from the other board members to withhold approved funds again for the 2007-08 budget.
* $43,979 for legal fees for two outstanding lawsuits - $41,792 for Pullman and Comley for an invoice through Jan. 31, 2007, and labor claim through March 31, 2007, and $2,188 for the town attorney's invoice.
It was estimated that over the next five months there could be additional legal fees of approximately $26,000 because of two outstanding lawsuits, but First Selectman Edward J. Filipone said these were "crystal ball" estimates only, and the exact amount of legal fees to be incurred is unknown.
The Finance Board decided to ask only for money for outstanding bills, not to cover anticipated spending.
There was some discussion on two of the appropriations before the votes due to typographical errors, because the contingency account numbers on the notice were incorrectly printed.
After transfers are completed there will be a balance of $41,947 in the town's contingency account, and the contingency 2 account will be zero, Town Treasurer Mary Szabo said today.
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