USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Lincoln > Town Report on Lincoln 1956-1959 > Part 16
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c. Financing
The Committee recognizes that the Board of Water Commissioners and the Town have gone through an adjustment period as water charges were changed from the outlet basis to meters. It regards it as desirable, however, to return as quickly as possible to regular annual outlays for replacements of mains at an average level between $12,000 and $14,000, paid for out of revenue. This would permit $60,000 - $70,000 of improvements in each five-year period without the need for borrowing.
The 16" main from Sandy Pond to the reservoir on the Town Hill and the improvements in the suction intake, outlet dam, etc., would be financed by bor- rowing. If these were delayed until 1958 or 1959, after the next addition to the School had been financed, the possible effect on the credit of the town would be minimized.
d. Effect on Current Expenditure
The new main to the reservoir is likely to decrease expenditure somewhat.
Electric Power
a. Record of Capital Expenditures - none
b. Proposed Capital Expenditures - none
A number of citizens have suggested that our committee should examine the possibility of savings for the citizens of the Town through municipal acqui- sition of facilities for distribution of electric power, and operation by the Town,
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such as has been successful in Belmont, Concord, Littleton, Groton, Hudson, etc. In view of the complex and technical character of this question, the Committee asked George H. Kidder to investigate the question in its behalf. After a thorough study by Mr. Kidder, the Committee is disposed to accept his conclusion that such action is not practical today. Equipment costs would be high and uncertain; the necessity to amortize such cost over 20 years would add a high charge to be met before profits could be made or light charges re- duced. These difficulties probably explain why no town has entered the business of electricity distribution since 1908.
The Committee wishes particularly to express its gratitude to Mr. Kidder for his work.
Finances
Along with most other towns, the Lincoln tax rate has been increasing rapidly in recent years, as the cost of capital expenditures and increased current expense have risen faster than property valuations. A somewhat crude attempt to compare financial statistics for neighboring and similar towns is given in the appendix. It is important there to note, however, that the crude rate is relatively meaningless in the absence of some notion of the relation of property assessments to the market value of property. Over the state as a whole, assessments typically run 50 to 60 percent of market values. In Lincoln, the percentage is 25 to 33. Thus the tax rate of $54 is a rate of $13.50 to $18.00 based on market rates, whereas the Weston rate of $40, with assessments run- ning close to 50 percent of market values, is a rate of $20 based on market rates.
If the recommended level of capital expenditures is undertaken for the next five years, it is estimated that the tax rate will rise from its present level of $54 to $64. The details of this calculation are shown in Table 6 on the next page. It should be noted that this projection is made on the basis of the data taken from the annual report of the Treasurer, as set out in Table 3 above, rather than on the method used by the Board of Assessors. It is, of course, subject to a considerable degree of uncertainty. No estimate is given for 1956 to emphasize the approximate character of the calculation.
It should be observed that the Town debt at the end of 1960 would, on these projections amount to approximately $700,000 plus its "share" in the Regional School debt amounting then to $1,250,000, and Water Board obligations estimated at $60,000. The legal debt limit, which is five per cent of assessed valuation is estimated at $400,000. Towns can readily obtain exemptions to exceed the debt limit for school construction and particularly for participating in regional school districts, since this debt is in substantial part repayable by the state. The gross amount of borrowing for non-school purposes during the next five year periods is estimated at $255,000. It is considered that this program, while it would approach the limits of the financial capacity of the town, would not jeopardize its credit standing.
No attempt has been made to estimate the tax rate beyond 5 years because of the heightened uncertainty of the various projections involved.
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Table 6
TENTATIVE FORECAST OF LINCOLN TAX RATE, 1957-1960 (in thousands of dollars)
Expenditures
1955
1957
1958
1959
1960
Current Expense (ex debt service)
461.7
510.0
540.0
570.0
600.0
Service existing debtª
49.4℃
75.8
74.6
72.8
72.0
Total
511.1
585.8
614.6
642.8
672.0
Capital expense (incl.
110.5ª
249.0
318.0
195.5
76.0
water, omitting cemetery)
Service add' 1 debt
2.1
14.6
30.4
36.3
TOTAL
621.6
836.9
947.2
868.7
784.3
Receipts
Commonwealth, etc.
96.9
105.0
110.0
115.0
120.0
Other
33.0
40.0
42.0
44.0
46.0
Special Capital
104.4
School constr. assistance b
34.1
17.6
17.6
21.0
13.8
Chapter 90
30.0
30,0
30.0
30.0
Water receipts
39.4
42.0
44.0
46.0
48.0
Borrowing
_d
165.0
230.0
110.0
Total of above
307.8
399.6
473.6
366.0
257.8
Amount to be Raised by
391.5e
437.3
473.6
502.7
526.5
Taxation
Valuation
6,253.3
7,000.0
7,400.0
7,800.0
8,200.0
Given something of these orders of magnitude of current expenditure and of the Town's share of Commonwealth receipts, both of which are subject to considerable uncertainty, and given something like the projected growth in real and personal property assessments, the capital requirements program outlined above can be taken to imply a set of tax rates as follows. The validity of this forecast, however, depends more on the assumptions than on the capital expendi- ture. Accordingly, these tax rates should be viewed with reserve.
Tax Rate (in dollars per $1000)
54.00
62.00
64.00
64.00
64.00
a Net of state aid for Regional School construction
b Excluding state aid for Regional School
c Plus small amount of debt service for Regional School included in current expense
d Excluding capital transactions of Regional School District
e Amount actually raised. See Table 3.
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Recommendations
1. With the submission of this report, the Long-Term Capital Requirements Committee has completed its task, and begs to be discharged.
2. The Committee believes that more attention should be given to long-term planning in the Town, both physical and financial. On the first score, it ventures to express the opinion that the Planning Board is too busy with processing appli- cations for developments to be able to spend the full time necessary on long run planning, over and above the time taken by the revisions of the zoning by-law. If the Planning Board could constitute a special subcommittee charged with responsibility for this planning, perhaps enlarging the whole board simultaneous- ly, it is believed that the Town would benefit.
3. On the financial question, it is recommended that a Capital Expenditures committee be appointed annually by the Moderator to review proposed capital expenditures of the various departments and boards of the town each year and express an opinion as to the financial capacity of the Town to support them. Such Committees have been established in a number of other towns - Reading, Lexing- tion, Wellesley, - and are increasingly regarded as a useful adjunct to the regular Finance Committee which is absorbed in the examination of current expenses. It is important to keep the prospective needs of the town under constant examination in this period of rapid growth and change.
4. The growing complexity of the Town's problems requires continued inno- vation in the art of government. The assistant to the Selectmen is one welcome change. A certain number of long-range problems are being neglected because of the limits of capacity of the Town's officers and employees, particularly ques- tions like land-takings for roads, negotiations over the route of a sidewalk be- tween the schools, etc., which are time consuming and involved. It is suggested that more use be made of one man subcommittees chosen from among the many able residents of the town who have not been elected or appointed to Town service.
b
Respectfully submitted, Long-Term Capital Requirements Committee
William M. Rand, Chairman
Henry De/ C. Ward for the Selectmen
6 7 8
Charles P. Kindlichen -
C. P. Kindleberger, Clerk
Charles K. Fitts
for the Finance Committee
12 Shank
M. E. Shank
Alan McClennen for the Planning Board
S
Appendix 1. Memorandum by M. E. Shank: "Analysis of Expenditures for Maintenance and Improvement of the Road Net of Lincoln."
Appendix 2. Comparative Financial Statistics of Representative Towns
I.
e
S
li
p I
d
1 2 3
4 5
Hamm 6 de c. Lige
th
d
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APPENDIX 1
ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURES FOR MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE ROAD NET OF LINCOLN
I. GENERAL OBJECTIVE: -
Next to schools, highways are the second most expensive item in the tax-supported budget of the town. In expenditures for highways, it is sometimes difficult (except where equipment is concerned) to separate capital and operating expenditures. This is due to the fact that both types of expense contribute to the quality of an existing road system. Further, in roads, perhaps more than in any other type of structure, the degree of maintenance required is sharply affected by the money spent for capital improvement of existing highways. For this rea- son, both capital and maintenance expenses for roads will be discussed in this report, as well as expenses for capital equipment.
The objective of this analysis, therefore, will be to examine the possible limits of expenses which the town might undertake, to draw conclusions regard- ing feasibility of such expenses, and to make recommendations for a realistic program for the consideration of the Long-Term Capital Requirements Committee.
II. BUDGETS FOR 1955 AND 1956
For comparative purposes, the budget for 1955, and the approximate pro- posed budget for 1956 are set forth below: In figures for Chapter 90 construction denoted by an asterisk (*), one quarter of the cost is borne by the town, the re- mainder being reimbursed by state and county. In Chapter 90 maintenance fig- ures, denoted ( ** ), one third is borne by the town, the remainder being reim- bursed by state and county.
Items and Remarks
1955
1956
1.
** Ch. 90 Maint.
$ 4,500
$ 4,500
2.
* Ch. 90 Constr. (Trapelo Rd. at Center)
12,000
20,000
3.
Wages
14,500
14,500
4.
General Expense (Fuel, light, etc.
700
750
5.
Highway Maint., general (Asphalt, Sand, etc. Snow Removal
3,500
3,500
7.
Equip. Maint. & Supplies (Truck maint., paint, sign posts, etc.)
5,000
5,000
8. Street Lights
6,093
6,093
TOTALS
$54,293
$66,543
Of the foregoing figures, Items 4, 6, 7, 8 comprising General Expense, Snow Removal, Equipment Maintenance, and Street Lighting, totaling approximately $15,500, may properly be regarded as overhead items of fairly fixed size. As such, they do not enter into the discussion below.
III. CLASSIFICATION OF ROADS BY USAGE
For purposes of maintenance and capital expense figures, it is useful to divide the road net, perhaps arbitrarily, into three categories, as shown below.
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-
8,000
12,000
6.
Of course, such division implicitly assumes that road expense should be related to frequency of use.
Class A Roads - Roads which carry, or potentially should carry, traffic around the town. All but one of these are either state maintained or Chapter 90:
Routes 2 and 2A and Airport Road - State maintained at no expense to town. It is a fair assumption that Route 2 will continue to be state maintained, even if superseded by the proposed throughway.
Route 126 - Chapter 90
Route 117 - Chapter 90
Old County Road - May or may not be Chapter 90, but could be placed under Chapter 90 with little or no difficulty.
Class B Roads - Main town thoroughfares which carry, or should carry traffic destined to points inside the town. Some of these are Chapter 90 roads:
Lincoln Road Bedford Road (Maintained by Ch. 90 between Rt. 2 and 2A) Sandy Pond Road (This may well belong in Class C) Codman Road (Maintained under Ch. 90) Trapelo Road (Maintained under Ch. 90) Lexington Road.
Class C Roads - Secondary roads, for mainly local traffic. These roads comprise all of the roads not listed above. In great measure these roads are narrow, winding, tree shaded, of fair to poor sur- face. They are usually considered both picturesque and beautiful in the eyes of the townspeople, perhaps even more so than the roads listed as Class B. Of these roads, Old Bedford Rd. and Winter St. have had Chapter 90 layouts prepared, but have never been rebuilt. It is fair to say that most of these secondary roads are steadily deteriorating. Road shoulders have slowly moved inward and drain- age ditches have disappeared. This has hastened the break-up of surfaces, as water has accumulated on the paving.
The total length of the roads in town, exclusive of wholly state maintained roads, is approximately 41 miles. Of these 41 miles, 9 miles are Chapter 90 maintained (falling in both Classes A and B above). Of the Class B roads, there are approximately 11 miles which are not maintained under Chapter 90. Class C roads comprise approximately 21 miles. Briefly then, maintenance and/or im- provement costs involve :
9 miles under Chapter 90, of Class A and B roads,
11 miles at wholly town expense of Class B roads,
21 miles at wholly town expense of Class C roads.
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IV. POSSIBLE LIMITS OF EXPENDITURES FOR ROAD MAINTENANCE AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
1. Maintenance
a) Non-Chapter 90 Roads - Other than the Chapter 90 roads, none of the town roads have a satisfactory base of crushed rock. This causes the surface to break up fairly quickly. Thus, the maintenance costs are much higher than they would otherwise be. In the 1955 budget, Item 5, Highway Maintenance was $8,000. Of this, $5,000 was for general maintenance, and $3,000 was used to resurface a little over 1 mile of Bedford Road near the Town House. In the 1956 budget, the total figure for maintenance is $12,000. Of this, $6,000 is earmarked for resurfacing of about 2 miles of what is here categorized as Class B roads, and $6,000 is for general maintenance. At this increased 1956 rate of resurfacing, all 11 miles of non-chapter 90 Class B roads could be resurfaced in 52 years. At the end of this period, the initially accom- plished portion of resurfacing would be in need of re-doing. Thus, the increased figure of $6,000 for resurfacing will just enable the town to keep abreast of its present position for non-chapter 90 Class B roads alone, to say nothing of Class C.
If it is assumed that money for resurfacing will continue to be applied to Class B roads, then, in effect, in 1955 there was $5,000 of the General Mainten- ance money allotted for Class C roads, and in 1956 it will be $6,000. For the 21 miles of Class C roads, it seems that a reasonable minimal objective would be to keep them safe, patched, occasionally oiled, narrow spots widened from time to time, shoulders cut back, notably unsafe spots eliminated, and drainage improved. This would just about enable the roads to meet increasing safety standards of the future. A realistic figure for the cost of such work is about $15,000 per year, or roughly two and one-half times the 1956 figure. This is equivalent to about 15 cents per foot per year.
b) Chapter 90 Maintenance - The sum of $4,500 per year is allotted to the 9 miles of Chapter 90 roads. This enables about one mile of maintenance per year. Thus, the roads are, in effect, maintained once every 10 years. This is insufficient, and the first-repaired section is bound to be in bad shape by the time the last-repaired section is finished. To remedy this, the Chapter 90 main- tenance budget should be doubled to $9,000, so that every mile of Chapter 90 road could be attended to once in 5 years.
c) Total minimal maintenance budget - From a) and b) above it would appear that the sum of $21,000 per year is needed for General Maintenance, and the sum of $9,000 per year for Chapter 90 maintenance to keep the town roads in as good, or slightly better condition than is now the case. To utilize such funds, however, an additional full-time employee, plus two summer employees, would have to be added to the Highway Department. This would entail an additional figure of $5,000 per year.
A minimal yearly maintenance budget, exclusive of any new construction (new construction was $12,000 in 1955, $20,000 in 1956), then for the road net as it now exists would be :
33
C
e
1
ITEM
RECOMMENDED AMOUNT
PROPOSED INCREASE
1. * Chapter 90 Maint.
3. Wages
19,500
5,000
7, 8, Snow Removal, Equip. Maint., Lights)
$ 9,000
$ 4,500
4, 6, Overhead (comprising General
15,500
9,000
5. Highway maintenance, general 21,000
9,000
$65,000
$18,500
* Two thirds of Ch. 90 Maint. reimbursed by county and state. NOTE: Item numbers refer to items listed in Part II above.
2. Capital Road Improvements :
a) Non-Chapter 90 Roads - The most obvious capital improvement for non-chapter 90 roads would be to dig them up and relay them with a sound foundation. Such a course would, in the long run, reduce maintenance costs on Class B roads (which now need resurfacing about every five years) to about 20% of present expense. For Class B roads not maintained under Chapter 90, the cost of this would be about $8 per foot, or $40,000 per mile. It would not be economical to rebuild less than one mile per year, and if this were done, the whole non-chapter 90 Class B category would be done in 11 years. This would finally result in the present $6,000 annual figure for quintennial resurfacing being reduced to about $1200, or a total savings of $4800 per year. If this cost of $40,000 per mile per year were financed out of taxes, it would necessitate an increase of over 8% in the budget and tax rate, based on 1955 figures. If financed by borrowing at 2% for 20 years, the average interest and amortization would be $2400 per year. Thus, two miles of rebuilt road, financed by borrowing would swallow up the total annual maintenance saving. In eleven years, after all Class B roads had been rebuilt, the town would then be carrying about $24,000 per year in interest and amortization. This figure represents about 5% of the total town budget and tax rate, based on 1955 figures. The maximum cost would continue annually from the eleventh year following the first mile of rebuilding, through the twentieth year, and would represent a total debt of $440,000.
In view of the foregoing, it seems unwise to contemplate the cost of puttin, a good foundation under the 21 miles of Class C roads. In the case of the Class C roads, the work would be of little value unless accompanied by straightening, widening, and probably wholesale tree removal. Aside from esthetic objections, a cost of about $12 per foot, or $60,000 per mile would have to be contemplated. This figure is exclusive of land taking.
b) Chapter 90 Roads - In the case of Chapter 90 roads, where the state and county assume 75% of the cost of construction, many more things are possible, if not probable. These are:
(1) Extension of Old County Road from new Route 2, through Waltham to Conant Road and Rt. 117: - Assuming the new Rt. 2 remains about where it is in the region of Hobbs Brook reservoir, a cloverleaf could be introduced at the point where Old County Road
34
connects. Lexington Road and Page Road could then be brought down parallel to Rt. 2 to join such a cloverleaf. With the cooperation of Waltham, the road could be widened and straightened to join Conant Road and Rt. 117. The right of way exists, both in Waltham and Lincoln, from Rt. 2 to Conant Road. There is a total of 11,000 feet of the road in Lincoln to be rebuilt. It would cost about $15 per foot average, exclusive of land taking, or a total of $165,000, of which Lincoln would pay $41,250. This addition would constitute the last link in a complete circumferential road net and would take much traffic away from the center of town.
(2) Rt. 126 from Codman Rd. to Wayland line: - This now constitutes a narrow part of Rt. 126. It is 6,000 ft. long, and at $10 per foot for widening, exclusive of land taking, would cost $60,000. The town's share would be $15,000.
(3) Rt. 126 at Henderson's Corner to Concord line: - This section could be straightened with a resulting increase in safety. It is 2000 ft. long, and since considerable relocation would be neces- sary, it would cost $15 per foot exclusive of land taking, or $30,000. The town's share would be $7500.
(4) Rt. 117 from Weston line to Concord line: - Someday this section may become a bottle neck. It is 16,500 ft. long, and for widening and straightening would cost about $12 per foot, exclusive of land taking. This totals $198,000, of which the town's share would be $49,500.
It should be noted that with the exception of Old County Road, about which there is some question, all of these roads are already under Chapter 90. Thus rebuilding of them would not of itself greatly affect town maintenance figures for non-chapter 90 roads.
V. CAPITAL EQUIPMENT
1. Trucks - The Highway Department now owns five trucks consisting of two 1946 Whites, one 1948 White, one 1951 Ford and one 1952 Chevrolet pick- up. With the exception of the pickup all are at the age where cost of upkeep becomes high. The department would probably be better served if it owned two 0 light and two heavy trucks, plus a pickup, instead of three light and one heavy. It would seem advisable to trade in at least one truck per year for the next three years, and two trucks in the fourth year, as scheduled below. Following this, trucks should be traded regularly when they become three years old:
Trade one in 1956 to purchase one light truck $3,000
Trade one in 1957 to purchase one heavy truck 4,500
Trade one in 1958 to purchase one heavy truck 4,500
Trade two in 1959 to purchase one light truck and one pickup 5,000
There may be difficulty in phasing subsequent truck purchases, because of the necessity for items listed below.
2. Road Roller - The town does not own and badly needs a road roller.
35
d
It now rents one, when needed, at $80 per day. One could be purchased for $6800. It is recommended that this be done as soon as possible, preferably in 1956. In future it will have to be replaced every 10 years.
3. Grader - The town owns a 1946 motor grader which is not as pow- erful or as readily manipulated as is necessary for economical usage. This should be replaced, at a cost of $10,000 by 1958 at the latest. In future it will have to be replaced every 5 years.
4. Frontend Loader - The present 1949 Hough Payloader is excessivel expensive and troublesome to maintain. It could be traded for a new one for $8000 and should probably be done in 1957. In future it will have to be replaced every five years.
5. Street Sweeper - The present 1949 street sweeper, purchased used appears to be satisfactory. It will have to be replaced in 1959, and every 10 years thereafter at a cost of $5,000.
VI. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
1. Capital Improvements to Roads
a) Chapter 90 Construction: Of all possible Chapter 90 construction items, the most obviously advantageous one is the reconstruction and extension of Old County Road from a Rt. 2 cloverleaf to Rt. 117 at a total cost of about $165,000, of which the town's share would be $41,250. This would complete the town's circumferential highways, and keep through traffic out of the center. Of course, much depends upon future decisions to be made by the state concerning Rt. 2.
Reconstruction of parts of Rt. 126 outlined above might be desirable, but not necessary. It seems pointless, especially at Henderson's Corner, until firm plans are drawn up concerning Rt. 2, and the eventual location of Rt. 126 where it passes Walden Pond State Reservation. Thus Rt. 126 is an item which might well be deferred pending such developments.
Reconstruction of Rt. 117 is, obviously, a luxury, and an item which might not become necessary.
Judging from past attitudes of the townspeople, there would be distinct opposition to the improvement of non-chapter 90 Class B or Class C roads by Chapter 90 means, because of the required road width, straightening and tree cutting involved.
b) Rebuilding of Class B roads: Rebuilding of 11 miles of Class B Roads to give them an adequate foundation would, as noted, cost $40,000 per mile. To finance a mile per year out of revenue would increase the tax rate approximately 8%, a measure which probably cannot be afforded, in the light of necessary future school construction. To borrow such money seems unsound,
36
and would probably jeopardize the debt position of the town. Moreover, the servicing and amortization of such debt would not nearly be covered by the resulting savings in maintenance. Finally, the rebuilding of Class B roads would still leave unsolved the much greater problem of improvement of 21 miles of Class C roads.
This is not to say that improvement of the existing Class B and Class C road net is to be avoided. Increasing traffic, due to increased population, will eventually necessitate that the entire road system be modernized, perhaps even at the expense of certain esthetic considerations. It is clearly indicated, how- ever, that such improvement must be delayed until (1) the tax base valuation for the town is greater, and (2) until the demand for new school construction slackens. Point (1) implies that when the town population reaches 5,000 in say, twenty years, the total mileage of road will still be the same. This will obvious - ly not be the case. The road net is bound to expand. If, however, all new devel- opment road construction is required to be built to a superior standard (as is now being considered by the planning board) then some of the taxes derived from such new developments can be applied to improvement of the existing road net. Exactly when this will be possible is difficult to foresee. It is a subject which should be closely followed by such capital requirments committees which may be appointed in the future.
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