Concerns raised over Town’s debt

(9/15) At the end of what had been a fairly mundane Town Council meeting, Commissioner John Cutshall lit the room up when he took the floor to raise concern over what he perceives as an increasingly unwieldy debt load the Town is now carrying, which, according to Cutshall, "is going to increase significantly with the new Town Hall."

Cutshall opened his talk with a simplistic: "I think the people of Woodsboro deserve to know how much debt the Town is carrying." From there, Cutshall began to list the balances in the Town’s multiple funds and the multiple sources of debts owed by the Town.

Cutshall expressed frustration with the fact that the Town was now paying double for the maintenance of the Town’s water and sewer plant, and questioned how the increased costs would be funded in the years to come.

Cutshall, who voted against the building of the new Town Hall at the July Council meeting, questioned whether the residents of the Town truly understood the costs the Town was about to incur with its building, and asked Burgess Barnes to consider

withdrawing the contract for the new Town Hall until the finances of the Town could be thoroughly reviewed.

Barnes, who was caught off-guard by the request, pushed back on the idea, citing they already signed the contract to start work. He further indicated that by pulling out now the Town would not only be on the hook for all the work already completed, but might possibly be found in breach of contract and find itself on the hook for paying the full cost without a Town Hall in the end.

When pressed by Barnes as to whether he was asking for the Council to reconsider its decision to build the Town Hall, Cutshall demurred, and said that all he was asking for was an opportunity for the public to hear in detail the Town’s budget debts, something he felt had been given short shift in recent years.

Commissioner Jessie Case suggested that while it was too late to do anything about this year’s budget, if it was possible, to hold a public workshop on budgets going forward to give residents more time to comment and provide input on them.

Town staff said that according to the Town’s code, they were required to draft a budget and submit it to the Town’s Burgess, who then provides it to the Council for their review and approval.

Barnes concurred with Case that there needed be more time for the public to look over the budget and said he would be open to holding a budget workshop next year if that would facilitate more input from the town’s residents and increase their understanding of the where and why the Town spends its money.

While Cutshall seemed pleased with the promise of more time for the public to go over future budgets, he left the possibility open to revising this year’s planned expenditures, including the building of the new Town Hall, for a more detailed discussion during the October Council meeting when Commissioner Bill Rittelmeyer, who was absent at the September meeting, would be present and able to provide his input on the topic.