In the Marion Finance Committee’s only order of business in its March 3 meeting, its members voted to approve a transfer from the reserve fund in order to solve a personnel dispute involving a union member who left Marion employment during Fiscal Year 2021.
Per terms of an agreement to remain confidential, the town will additionally fund a negotiated severance package in the amount of $40,000.
“My takeaway is that this is a good thing for the town. It’s a payout of less than we would have had to pay if this person had gone to arbitration, won, and had to come back, so this is probably less than that. And it also ensures that we won’t have the employee around,” said Finance Committee Chairman Peter Winters. “It’s pretty much a done deal; this is just the transfer of the funds.”
Town Counsel Jon Witten negotiated the settlement with assistance from Town Administrator Jay McGrail. Selectman John Waterman was involved from the very beginnings of the dispute with the employee. “I think where this has ended up is as good as we could expect, what Jay’s been able to work out here,” said Waterman.
“The reason why we can’t go into detail is there is a signed, confidentially agreement in place,” said McGrail, who told FinCom, “I really appreciate the trust that you clearly have in the leadership that you have in place at the town here that we can bring this to you and you can approve it the way you just did. It’s a statement to you, and I appreciate that.”
“We already know you got the best deal possible; there’s no more value we can add,” said FinCom member Charlie Larkin.
“And it’s a good thing for this employee to not come back, based on my understanding,” said Winters.
In other business, McGrail told FinCom that he and Town Accountant Judy Mooney sent the updated budget to the two School Committee chairs.
Due to a medical emergency involving a member of school administration apparently resulting in the rescheduling of both the ORR School District’s public hearing (originally scheduled for March 2 and pushed to March 10) and the selectmen’s joint meeting with FinCom, McGrail estimates that the public budget hearing will be held on the last Wednesday of the month, March 31.
Assuming the school budget number does not change for the meeting on March 10, McGrail told FinCom he figures that a week later following budget recommendations that he will be looking to FinCom for its vote on Town Meeting warrant Article 2.
McGrail told FinCom member Shea Assad that he heard that the individual is doing better. “All signs point to him feeling better when I spoke to Mike (Nelson) on Monday,” said McGrail.
Larkin offered to assist budget preparation in any way his help could be used. McGrail recommended Larkin email Nelson.
Marion is among 13 towns outside Bristol County that are being saddled with debt service by Dighton-based Bristol County Agricultural High School.
“We completely disagree with the assessment we received for the debt,” said McGrail, who is working with Representative Bill Straus in an effort to change a situation he summarized as “taxation without representation,” alluding to the Boston Tea Party.
“We’ll throw our tea into the water,” quipped Winters.
Marion already pays Bristol Aggie an assessment, but with only four students attending, the town feels the debt service in excess of $20,000 is unacceptable, especially without a seat at the management table.
“It’s principle, too, because once the door is open,” said Waterman.
McGrail was told that Marion will have an opportunity to meet with the Bristol County commissioners directly to relay their concerns.
Winters asked for an update.
“We don’t know if we’ll have an update before the Town Meeting, but I can tell you we’re not paying the bill,” said McGrail.
Citing the Old Rochester Regional School District’s relative-enrollment budgeting formula and the uncertainty of school choice students on Marion’s school budget, Waterman suggested investment in a long-term study of enrollments in all three of the Tri-Towns.
FinCom’s planned joint meeting with the Board of Selectmen and school administration originally scheduled for March 2 was rescheduled for Wednesday, March 10, at 7:00 pm. The budget schedule will culminate with the April 13 submission of the warrant of articles for Annual Town Meeting to the printer.
Marion Finance Committee
By Mick Colageo