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Weymouth mayor outlines staffing, service continuity and $1.7 million in town-side cuts amid COVID-19
Summary
On the May 7 pre-recorded Ask the Mayor program, Mayor Bob Headin said key town offices have remained staffed during the COVID-19 shutdown, described staff rotations and quarantine impacts, and outlined a level-services budget that includes $1.7 million in town-side cuts while preserving school increases where possible.
Mayor Bob Headin said during the town’s May 7 “Ask the Mayor” broadcast that Weymouth has kept essential services running through staff rotations, weekend work by managers and by asking residents to call ahead for services.
“We’ve got — and I want to give a shout out — some of the folks in the tax collector’s office have really been going above and beyond,” Headin said, noting staff processed tax payments and helped the town project revenue. He added that some employees, including the chief of staff and a staffer named Ted, came in on weekends to handle mail and urgent tasks.
The mayor recounted his own quarantines after contact with someone who later tested positive and said he found remote work difficult: “I quickly found out that I am not suited for working from home.” He said that, because of that and because of budget work, he and select staff rotated in-person shifts at town hall while maintaining precautions.
On the budget, Headin said the town put forward a level-services proposal intended to carry Weymouth through the immediate fiscal period. He said the town made roughly $1.7 million in town-side cuts, that only three town departments received increases (mainly to cover collective-bargaining obligations), and that the town has built up a stabilization fund from about $1 million to more than $8 million in prior years to help absorb shocks.
“We feel pretty good that the provisions we’ve made get us through the remainder of this fiscal year and into ’21,” Headin said, while acknowledging a continuing shortfall in state revenues. He added the town could consider a supplemental budget if a federal or state windfall materializes.
Headin also described a difference of opinion with the school department: he said school leaders requested about $2.2 million more than the town can currently provide and that the town prioritized preserving jobs and level services while negotiating that gap.
The mayor said some departments are taking more significant personnel actions: Recreation and Elder Services have faced furloughs or layoffs because permits and programs are not being held during the pandemic, while DPW has continued paving and facility maintenance to the extent possible.
The program did not include a formal vote or action; Headin said the budget subcommittee and town council would continue review and that adjustments would be considered if additional revenues become available.
