CCRPC committee flags revenue timing, reviews draft FY21 budget

The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission Joint Executive & Finance Committee reviewed midyear finances and a first draft of the FY21 operating budget at its March 4 meeting in Winooski.

Forest Cohen, the CCRPC senior business manager, told members that a previously noted $300,000 year-over-year variance is largely a timing issue and that the more accurate cash difference is closer to $70,000. He said the agency recorded a year-to-date net of ($71,442) through December and identified a $50,000–$60,000 reduction versus original projections, driven in part by lower-than-expected revenue generation and under-billed transportation staff time. "When comparing monies month after month, we are not actually down $300,000 in cash, the amount is closer to $70,000," Cohen said.

Members approved quarterly journal entries for October through December 2019 after Jeff Carr asked about a certificate of deposit transfer to Opportunities Credit Union and whether Water Quality expenses related to Clean Water Service Provider work; staff said those expenses were Water Quality Block Grants, not CWSP implementation. Jeff Carr moved to approve the entries; the motion carried unanimously.

Executive Director Charlie Baker presented the draft FY21 operating budget and described steps to mitigate health care costs and to align salary ranges with a recent compensation study. Baker said the proposed base raise is "closer to 4%," comparable with municipal markets, and emphasized total compensation—salary plus benefits—when discussing recruitment and retention. Members discussed travel and training budgets and the need to monitor billing practices to hit budget expectations in the second half of the fiscal year.

The committee returned to Executive Committee business after the finance discussion and formally closed the Finance Committee portion. No formal budget adoption occurred; the FY21 draft will proceed through the CCRPC process.