Woodstock town officials sharply criticized council member Bennet Ratcliff’s proposal to fund expenses for volunteer committees and raises for Senior Recreation teachers because it comes at the expense of pay raises, staffing and overtime in other departments.
Town Clerk Jackie Earley was the most upset, calling the proposals disgusting.
“I think that…Woodstock’s budget should reflect our community and its priorities. I think that the budget should be clear and I think that it should show that we care about protecting the environment,” Ratcliff said. “These amendments provide funding for the Environmental Commission to pursue its zero-waste solutions, and for the Tree Committee to replant and care for trees along the roadway. There’s funding for the Planning Board to continue its work with sustainable development that has the force of legal counsel behind it,” he added.
“And I’m talking about the many seniors who call Woodstock their only home. There is funding to increase our senior rec programs, to expand and to raise the pay for the senior rec teachers who care so deeply about the seniors. Many of these teachers have worked over a decade without a pay raise.”
The Senior Recreation program requested an $11,500 increase from $42,500 to $54,000 to cover a $15-per-class raise for instructors who have taught for 10 years or more and $10 per class for the others. Ratcliff has proposed a $20,500 increase to $63,000 and advocates for a $25-per-class raise for all instructors.
Ratcliff said his budget amendments “recognize the work of volunteers who serve on the boards and commissions” with funding for the Comeau Stewardship Advisory, Complete Streets and Housing committees and the Human Rights Commission.
“These amendments won’t fix everything, but they will keep the budget under the cap and reduce some of the unnecessary padding that I believe needs to stop.”
Ratcliff’s cuts total $107,374, and the new funding is $48,675, for a net reduction of $58,699, or about 0.6 percent of the budget.
The Town Board ultimately voted 3-1 to approve the preliminary budget as it was presented, with Ratcliff casting the only dissenting vote and council member Maria-Elena Conte abstaining, citing a need for further discussion.
The next step is a public hearing on November 10, and amendments may follow.
Supervisor Bill McKenna’s proposed $9.87 million budget calls for a 3.69 percent tax levy increase, just below the cap. Not included are fire and library districts because they are their own taxing entities with separate governing entities.
Town clerk is livid
“You picked on my office, Bill’s office and the court,” Earley said.
She asked Ratcliff why he left some items out of the clerk’s budget, to which he said he thinks they are padded.
“They are so padded. I’ve worked here for 38 years and I’ve padded every goddamn budget I’ve ever submitted,” Earley said. “You should be ashamed of yourself. I am so sorry, Bill. I am upset to the max.”
McKenna said she has every right to be.
“I have known Jackie for decades…I have never seen you upset. I can’t remember ever seeing you upset,” Council member Laura Ricci said.
“We have done nothing but save money for this town. You have no idea what I’ve done for this town. How dare you? You’re going to have to face me for the next year,” Earley said. “I’m going to look at you. I’m going to sit right here and look at you and you’re going to be ashamed of yourself. Bennet, I am so sorry for you…I actually almost thought you might be something good on this town board. But boy, was I mistaken. I am so freakin’ sorry you were elected.”
Earley and Deputy Town Clerk Lynn Sehwerert left before the meeting was finished.
An affront to hard-working employees
Council Member Laura Ricci found the cuts insulting to hard-working town employees.
“I guess not happy is to sum up how I felt because it looked like you had taken the salary increases proposed in the budget and flatten those so that people get the same salary next year that they’ve gotten this year,” Ricci said. “And it’s an age of inflation and we have always struggled to do the best we can…I believe we should do the best we can for our employees. Our employees have served this town beautifully, wonderfully…I am dismayed actually that you want to punish the employees, and not give employees what I believe they deserve.”
Conte asked about the volunteers who have given “blood, sweat and tears” or the senior recreation teachers who haven’t had a raise in 15 years.
Ricci said she believes money should be set aside for boards and committees to use as needed, but not at the expense of employees. “I think to expect some employees to have no increase in salary, I am not for that at all,” she said.
Ratcliff’s proposal included cutting the current budget for court clerks by $4937 to $63,000, a figure McKenna said is not realistic because their payroll is going to exceed that by the end of this year.
“The courts (clerks) are on target to hit about $65,000 in that line. And that’s if there’s no overtime between now and the end of the year,” McKenna said.
Ratcliff’s amendments also eliminate raises for the two justices, keeping that line flat at $49,838.
Next on the chopping block was a part-time employee in the supervisor’s office to assist with operations at the town-owned Woodstock Cemetery. McKenna had proposed increasing the staffing line from $23.432 to $50,366, but Ratcliff’s proposal keeps it flat.
“I can tell you that next year I’m done with the cemetery. If there is nobody to replace (the staffing), then you guys can go sell graves and arrange the digging, and that’s fine if you want to do that,” McKenna said in response.
He also criticized Ratcliff for eliminating consulting fees for necessary computer upgrades and for cutting a part-time position in the assessor’s office that would have been necessary for a town-wide revaluation.
“Let’s go through this so we can find out exactly where you cut the budget, because it is disgusting,” Earley said.
McKenna railed against Ratcliff’s cuts to postage and contractual obligations in the clerk’s office. He explained a lot of the money doesn’t get spent until the end of the year, so you can’t go by what the current spending is as a guide.
Ratcliff said we won’t spend that same money next year if we don’t budget it.
“Ok, so we won’t send out mail and people won’t get notices, and you won’t get your tax bill,” Earley said.
“You have padded this budget with so many lines, that you’re able to then take it all and put it into your capital funds and your capital projects,” Ratcliff said to McKenna.
“I don’t disagree that the last two years, we’ve been very fortunate. We’ve been in the middle of a pandemic, and we’ve reduced costs greatly. And god bless the town employees who have done that,” McKenna said. “So the last two years has been really good. But I can tell you that that’s not going to last,” he added. “Bennet. This is the most spiteful thing I’ve ever seen. You’re picking on a handful of employees.”
Disclosure: The reporter, Nick Henderson, is the son of Edwina Henderson, who chairs the Senior Recreation Committee.
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