Now what?

To the editor:

I would like to applaud the good job done by the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen at the February 28 meeting.

Paul Silva, Jordan Collyer and Tyler Macallister along with our Harbormaster, Horace Fields, worked to solve some of the issues that have been problematic with the Aquaculture farms in our Mattapoisett waters.

The Marine Advisory Board worked very hard all summer, listening to the concerns of Mattapoisett concerning the use of and preservation of our recreational waters.

You will be happy to hear that our town officials are all working together now to uphold the new Aquaculture rules and regulations as written.

I felt proud and honored to be witness to small town government at its best.

Thank you all!

Joyce Almeida

To the editor:

While budget struggles mount for area towns, is it now time for local government to let the taxpayers know about the costs for unfunded financial liabilities?

Several years ago, both the New Bedford Standard-Times and the Boston Globe editorialized that sick day buybacks alone would bankrupt some communities in the future.

Was anyone listening?

Sick day buybacks (unpaid sick days purchased under varying terms once an employee leaves a government position) are just one tiny sector of a government’s unfunded liability potential.

Others include shared healthcare costs, even after retirement; clothing allowances (in some communities called a uniform allowance); longevity payments annually, personal days for perfect attendance every six months, etc.

On March 7, I was one of a handful of folks attending a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2013 budget for Old Rochester Senior and Junior High Schools.

I was curious about unfunded financial liabilities and not hearing anything related to this but quite aware that seven teaching and custodial positions would go unfunded next year asked the question:

“How much money is in this budget for sick day buybacks and what would the liability be if the practice was stopped today and we paid the employees their due?”

The answers were not immediately available but were promised.  Within hours, the superintendent’s office volunteered the following:

“Next year’s budget for the two schools earmarks $11,050 for sick day buybacks.  Seems reasonable.”

As of last September, the tri-town liability for paying off the accumulated sick days just at the two schools would be $210,468.  That’s frightening.

Then came the shocker: If all of the unfunded liabilities for the two schools, projected into the future, were paid, the cost would be $12,900,000.

This I consider unsustainable!

Particularly when the potential costs for all other town employees are not included in that figure.

So my question to tri-town officials:  Now what?

Brad Hathaway, Mattapoisett

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