Editor:

In your last edition (April 18, 2008), there was a quote I found interesting.

“There needs to be better accountability, there needs to be better policy and procedure, and better internal monitoring of programs to see what is working and what isn’t.”

Auditor Ron Smith’s second to last statement, in the article referencing the Buxton Recreation Department, sums up perfectly the need for a town manager in the town of Buxton.

A few weeks ago I submitted a letter voicing my support of the petition circulating in town, started by Mr. Andy Townsend, to hire a town manager and how doing so would streamline the town’s financial system and improve efficiency. The current financial situation in the town’s recreation department would not have happened if Buxton had a town manager.

It is common practice within town governments to move monies from one budget line to another to cover over expenditures as long as at the end of the year, the department finishes in the black. Things happen during the year that are unforeseen and you have to be flexible. And sometimes, due to a mistake or underestimating, a department does go over and that department head must explain why at a special town meeting. And hopefully he has a good answer or the taxpayers will have his head. But to have over expenditures due to sloppy billing and accounting practices is inexcusable. And a town manager would not allow that to happen. A manager would have the time to spend reviewing account status and if a program was not sustaining itself, he/she would be able to fix it or shut it down.

To paraphrase Selectman Pulsoni from a few weeks ago, “These are tough economic times.” But apparently the times are not tough enough yet in the recreation department to ensure that the bills were sent out and to pursue collection on outstanding invoices, to the tune of $30,000. Isn’t that what the recreation director’s position salary is? In theory, the department isn’t taking in enough money to even cover that. Apparently, the recreation director is applying some accounting practices he learned at his other career as a representative in the Maine Legislature. Those being the “have the program now and figure out how to pay for it later” school of thought.

A good town manager would demand that any new program that the department heads wanted to pursue be presented with a serious need to the town, a cost benefit analysis, and a defined way to financially support the program through the most cost effective means. And if the program is approved, he would have the time to follow up on the program, and its status, thereby giving the taxpayer the most for their tax dollars and good quality assurance.

Please support Mr. Andrew Townsend’s petitions to allow a vote on a full time town manager. There are petition are available at most of the town stores or you can contact him directly at his published phone number.

Jeff Grinnell

Buxton