with math errors
June 7, 2004
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Joseph Gillis Jr.
You can do something!
For anyone who got a copy of that spreadsheet from the 6/2 Selectmen/Advisory Meeting, be aware that there are five math errors in it. While I will state that the bottom line for the "AB Proposed FY'05 Budget" is still mathematically added correct, the volume of other math mistakes creates concern for the detail of any other analysis. For some unknown reason, there are five errors in the "AB $$ Change" column for Ambulance, BR Schools, BP Schools, Bristol County, Series for Debt.
The Advisory Board is who we as townspeople must trust to advise us on financial matters. And while anyone can make a mistake, having five in a two-page summary is not good. There could be more mistakes - what I noticed was that the BR Schools number for Change was wrong (and I shared this with the Advisory Board after the meeting), and that if:
Dept Head Proposal is $35,385,105,
subtract AB Change of $3,901,132
does not equal reported $30,861,677 for the AB Proposed Budget.
Do you trust a proposal with at least five errors in it? This financial advisory board has trouble with math. If this is what they bring to the public, then it is time for a completely new board.
