Treasury

To efficiently manage City assets, including cash and receivables. The Treasurer ensures that all assets are accounted for and all receipts due to the City are collected. In accordance with Mass General Laws Ch44 Section 55B, the Treasury is responsible for ensuring the safety and liquidity of the City’s funds while earning the highest yield possible. The Treasurer also maintains banking relationships, electronic payment relationships, City debt, and building insurance for all City-owned property.

Personal Services

The 511000 Salaries increase is attributed to the SMEA collective bargaining settlement which includes the Deputy Treasurer position, added approximately half way through Fiscal year 2020, fully budgeted at FY21, $92.5K.

The 960 employee budgeted is at 75% of base salary, a 25% reduction in the FY21 position, however, with FY20 this position was budgeted at 79%, so it’s technically a 4% reduction over FY20.

Overtime 513000: Continuing the effort to reduce overtime, with FY21 the $3,000 decrease translates to a 35% reduction over prior FY.

The remaining salary line increases are union contractual increases.

Ordinary Maintenance

Travel, Training, Dues, Subscriptions, Office Equipment and Furniture deleted, a $4,675 reduction, which is just under 2%.

Professional & Technical services 530000 increased by $10K in order to pay small dollar invoices/expenses surrounding sale of debt (bonds/BANs) in an effort to reduce charging org # 36795 (the bond expense budget). Funds taken from Land Court line, an effort to enhance fiscal prudence via a pay-as-go method.

Deleted $5K from 530011 advertising for Dilboy Field and Veterans' Ice Rinks. This 2% reduction was taken because advertising for the recreation department is not a core treasury function, and the part-time advertising clerk position that supported the advertising campaign was eliminated from the treasury budget with FY20.

Increased advertising line 530011 by $7K, for impending unclaimed property (tailings/uncashed checks) legal advertisement per M.G.L. Ch 200A section 9A. Funds were taken from the Land Court line 578012. Going forward, the advertising line 530011 will be used for newspaper legal advertisements for both Tax Takings and abandoned property/tailings (uncashed checks). With prior fiscal year budgets, the Tax Taking legal advertisements were charged at the Land Court line 578012.

530012 Data processing reduced by 12% or $2,700 in an effort to align budget with previous expenditures.

530026 Bank Charges increased $5K or 12% to provide sufficient funding for expected yearly increase in charges

534003 Postage line increased by $7,515 or 9%. Covers tax billing costs. Tax billings for FY20 real estate and personal property demands, and well as various calendar year 2020 excise tax billings were delayed due to Covid-19, pushing costs for same into FY21. Further, a slight increase in bill printing costs is expected due to a new vendor printing the real estate and personal property tax bills as previous bill printing vendor did not submit a bid during the open bidding process at contract expiration.

542000 Office Supplies increased by $2K or 48%. Toner for various printers is charged to this line for the checks, direct deposit advices and tax forms that are printed in the office.

542001 Printing and Stationery increased by $500 or 6% to cover increased printing costs with Finance/Communications Tax Bill mailer, printed and mailed every December. Treasury covers printing costs of mailer.

Insurance premium line 574000 increased for deputy treasurer bonding.

Line 578010 “Recordings” added for Tax Taking legal recordings at Middlesex South Registry of Deeds. $3K budgeted from Land Court line which was formerly charged.

Land Court Procedure 578012 reduced by 70% or $28,590, leaving $12,210 in the line to cover ongoing tax taking foreclosure costs on the two parcels