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Wayne officials and LRC board outline budget, reserve-account issues and a $5,000 warrant article
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Summary
Workshop participants reviewed past accounting problems, confirmed creation of a segregated LRC reserve account, and discussed a warrant article to appropriate $5,000 from town tax revenues while noting a draft LRC operating budget of about $150,400 for FY26–27.
At a Town of Wayne work session, participants reviewed years of inconsistent record-keeping between Ladd Recreation Center financial records and the town’s accounts and outlined steps to correct them.
Henry Stack, a Select Board member, told attendees the town treasurer had verified a sum of rollover monies that had not been properly transferred and said the select board will recommend a warrant article asking town meeting to "raise and appropriate the sum of $5,000 for operation of Ladd Recreation Center programs" and to authorize carryforward of the LRC reserve fund balance and FY26–27 donations and revenues.
Stack summarized the draft LRC operating budget for FY26–27 as $150,400, subject to correction by the LRC board; he said the town’s share of tax-funded support would be a modest $5,000 and that the operating plan also relies on donations, program fees and the LRC reserve account.
Board members and staff described historical bookkeeping gaps: some year-end surpluses were not carried forward and money that donors intended for LRC programs had remained in undesignated town reserves. Meeting participants said the town has now established a segregated reserve account at the town credit union for the LRC fund and that those funds are no longer legally available for other town expenses.
Shannon McDonald, town manager, and LRC directors discussed duplication of some insurance and payroll charges when both town and LRC filings were submitted; McDonald noted the town currently pays unemployment and workers' compensation costs for LRC employees and recommended aligning accounting schedules and clarifying what reporting information the town treasurer needs to reconcile Trio (town accounting) with LRC program records.
There were no formal votes. The group agreed to insert clearer financial-management language in the draft ordinance, confirm reporting deadlines (one suggestion was to move an LRC budget submission date to March 1 to align with town budget cycles), and present a revised package to legal counsel and then to town meeting via warrant articles if appropriate.
Next procedural steps include LRC board review at its Monday meeting and submission of clarified drafts and questions to municipal counsel or the Maine Municipal Association for legal review before placing related warrant articles before town meeting.
