by Frank Schroth

The Board of Selectmen heard from Mary Ann Sullivan, Director of the Council on Aging (COA), who was there to request approval of another van driver. She said the COA had to turn away multiple  requests from seniors for van service due to lack of resources. “It’s time for the town to step up to the plate,” she said.

The position has a salary of $37,743. Ms. Sullivan and COA board member Michael Balfe had recently made an argument to the selectmen for more adequate funding (see related post here.) At last Tuesday’s meeting Ms. Sullivan reiterated the need to additional van services. The selectmen understood the need and Member Hurley felt the position was appropriate and could be funded going forward as it represented an existing demand and necessary to meet the current level of service. His reasoning was in anticipation of the upcoming agenda item on the FY16 budget. Member Conlon said she would support the position. A motion was made and passed unanimously.

Ms. Sullivan will need to go before the Personnel Board and Warrant Committee before the position can be added to the department; but she will do it with the support of the selectmen.

Dmitry Petion and Jim Henderson of the PILOT Committee met with the board to give an update on the work of their committee. They are working on a standard definition of and process for complying with PILOT payments. PILOT is an acronym for Payment In Lieu Of Taxes.

Mr. Petion, Chair of the committee, reviewed the complexion of the non-profits in town. Here are some of the highlights from Mr. Petion’s presentation:

41% of Milton’s land area is tax exempt. The land area has a total assessed value of $582 million. Of that $104 is on land owned by town or state; $478 million is owned by non-profits

Over half of that $478m comes from 4 institutions: Milton Academy ($106), Curry College ($90), Milton Hospital  ($76), and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston ($23.7 of which $19.7 is exempt and $4 is taxable)

Property taxes constitute 68% of the town’s annual revenue of which 94% is residential

Non-profits benefit the town in a variety of ways. They provide health care and education, culture, care for poor and handicapped, a large employers of residents and their patrons (e.g. students) contribute in sales in town

There is a disconnect between costs and benefits. If taxable major non-profits would generate $6.8 million in revenue. Currently PILOT payments total ~$150,000.

It is the recommendation of the committee that Milton adopt a prelacy regarding PILOT payments similar that of Boston and Brookline.

This involves an accurate assessment of the properties which Mr. Petion and Mr. Henderson said still needs to be done. The assessed values above are not current. It should be voluntary and all non-profits should be included not just educational and medical institutions. Affordance would be made for other contributions made to the community, The base PILOT would be 25% of what the institutions property would generate if fully taxed.

Petion and Henderson said it was a tremendous asset to have Peter Healy, President of Beth Israel Deaconess Milton Hospital, on the board of the committee. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center was an early adopter of Boston’s PILOT program. It is hoped that having them on board will incent other non-profits to join. It was also acknowledged that this is a “marathon not a sprint.” PILOT programs are voluntary. Boston and Brookline among other communities, however, have seen success with their programs. Non-profits understand that they consume municipal services and that as responsible citizens and partners they should share in the delivery of those services.

Further they recommended that the program be rolled out over a 5 year period.

The selectmen also discussed preparing for the FY16 budget. Member Hurley recommended that they ask departments for a level service budget. Level service budgets contain increases over the previous year due to salary adjustments, increased utility costs, etc. For the last 5 years or so departments had been asked to submit level dollar budgets. Hurely stated that the school department always started with level service and that it would be good to be consistent. He also noted that with level dollar budgets for the past 5 years, operational costs have been trimmed about as far back as they can go. member Keohnace noted that it was good that departments needed to go though a “pencil sharpening” exercise. He recommended that departments submit both a level dollar and level service budget. He also questioned Hurley as to why he would request a level service budget when he knew the town could not afford it. Hurley replied, “Look at the condition of everything.  .  . it’s deteriorating.” Conlon mentioned that the Warrant Committee has been looking for an operational override. After further discussion it was agreed that a level service and level dollar budget would be expected from departments and that the any cuts made as a result of a level dollar budget be clearly articulate and defined.