Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Events topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Old Home Day organizer asks finance committee to consider larger baseline support
Summary
Mike Lally, chair of the Old Home Day Committee Fund, told the Finance Committee that rising costs have made the event harder to fund and urged the committee to consider increasing its baseline support; staff were asked to incorporate the request into the FY2025 budget process and coordinate with the Recreation Commission.
Mike Lally, chair of the Old Home Day Committee Fund, asked the Town of Charlton’s Finance Committee to consider increasing the event’s baseline funding, saying costs for bands, tents and fireworks have risen and that the group needs a more reliable base to operate from. “Our funding and our costs have gone escalated like everything else,” Lally said, adding that he has “been chasing funds” for years.
Lally told the committee the total cost to secure entertainment and infrastructure “came to about 25,” and that the committee now starts with “a budget of about 5 and a half.” He asked the finance committee to consider increasing that baseline. Committee members and staff discussed next steps: Chair (Speaker 1) said the request will go to town staff (Andrew and Ashley) to include in the FY2025 budgeting process and suggested Old Home Day’s organizers present during the recreation budget review.
Recreation Commission coordination: Committee members named Kathleen Walker as the Old Home Day contact and identified Diane Doherty as the current chair of the Recreation Commission; members recommended the event organizers and the recreation chair coordinate so the request can be reflected in the recreation budget submission. Member (Speaker 3) noted recreation’s overall budget is limited and that there may be only modest internal reallocation possibilities.
What happens next: Town staff will take Lally’s request into account as they assemble the FY2025 budget and the finance committee said it expects to see Old Home Day’s request presented during the normal budget hearing schedule. No formal appropriation or vote was taken at the meeting.
Ending: The committee directed staff to pass the request to the appropriate budget staff and to invite the Old Home Day organizers and Recreation Commission to present at upcoming budget hearings.
