Assessment adjusted again, reduced to $883

Directors decide not to raise any amenity dues or fees; budget passes on 5-2 vote with Horn and Daly in opposition

By TOM STAUSS Publisher

After a flurry of 11th hour budgeting via email that reduced the base lot assessment an additional $9 from what had been discussed at an early February town meeting on the proposed budget for 2022-14, the Board of Directors at its Feb. 18 monthly meeting approved a budget that incorporate a base lot assessment of $883.

That’s a $13 decrease from the current assessment of $896, and $9 less than the $892 that had been proposed at the town hall meeting.

However, it’s $8 more than the $875 assessment General Manager John Viola had proposed in his preliminary proposed budget unveiled this past December.

The new budget passed 5-2, with directors Colette Horn and Frank Daly voting against.

While approving a modest reduction in the assessments compared to the $100 reduction approved a year ago for 2022-23, the directors decided to keep all amenity membership dues and user fees constant, a reversal from earlier indications that membership fees would be increased in the new fiscal year that begins May 1.

There were no daily user fee increases in Viola’s original budget, and that continues to be the case in the final approved version.

It was the decision to forgo increases in membership dues that was cited by Horn for her decision to vote against the budget.

Similarly, Daly, who said he supported much of what the approved budget contains, told his colleagues he would vote against it because Aquatics is budgeted to lose about $100,000 next year, compared to a projected surplus this year of about $20,000.

Daly wanted to increase Aquatics dues and fees to make up the shortfall, which is predicated on full staffing at the pools this summer, a goal which in the end could prove to be elusive despite a concerted effort to beef up recruitment.

If, as occurred last summer, recruitment falls short of the 40-plus summer pool staff, then it’s possible the projected deficit will work itself out with reduced payroll costs.

That in turn could produce pushback from pool users, some of whom objected to shortened hours