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Concord cemetery committee urged to request larger perpetual-care distributions after budget review
Summary
Town Manager Carrie LaFleur and town finance staff told the Cemetery Committee the trustees of town donations could authorize larger annual distributions from perpetual-care trust funds; the committee discussed using those funds for operations and capital projects including stonewall repairs and mausoleum work.
Town Manager Carrie LaFleur told the Town of Concord Cemetery Committee on Jan. 8 that the trustees of town donations set a distribution policy that this year allows up to about $287,000 in interest to be used from the cemetery perpetual-care trust fund.
LaFleur said the trustees determine an annual percent that beneficiaries may draw based on investment performance and that the committee must request distributions to receive the larger amounts. "For fiscal '25, for your perpetual care fund you had $287,000 available maximum of interest," LaFleur said.
The comment came during a committee review of cemetery finances after the group approved minutes and heard an operations report. LaFleur, who previously served as Concord’s chief financial officer, explained there are three trust funds that support cemetery activity and that the largest, the perpetual-care fund, preserves principal while allowing beneficiaries to take an annual distribution of interest. She advised the committee to ask the trustees for the maximum annual distribution if the committee wants more revenue available in the cemetery operating fund.
Committee members and town staff discussed recent revenue and expenses. Town staff reported an operating budget of about $275,000 a year and roughly $90,000 in lot-sale revenue last year, based on 87 lots sold. Town accounting staff said the cemetery fund’s balance rose in fiscal 2024 after a large mausoleum sale; Chief Financial Officer Anthony (last name not specified on the record) said FY23 ended with about $373,000, FY24 had roughly $665,000 in one-time mausoleum revenue and about $275,000 in expenditures.
Committee members raised two linked concerns: whether relying on distributions and occasional large lot or mausoleum sales is sustainable, and how much of cemetery operations should continue to be covered by trust distributions rather than general-tax support. "If long term that doesn't work, we need to talk about doing something different," LaFleur said, urging the committee to document requests and to coordinate with trustees of town donations.
Members agreed to explore the trustees’ process and to bring the topic back to a future meeting. The committee also discussed capital priorities identified in its master plan, including stonewall restoration and monument work, and possible FY26 capital funding requests. LaFleur and staff recommended the committee specify intended uses when requesting larger distributions so the trustees can evaluate them under the trustees’ distribution policy.
The committee voted earlier in the meeting to approve minutes from Dec. 4, Nov. 6 and Oct. 2, 2024. No formal change to the cemetery budget was made at the Jan. 8 meeting; the discussion focused on options and next steps.
The committee asked staff to prepare clearer projections and a formal request process so members can present detailed needs to the trustees of town donations and to the town finance office.
