Trust Fund Commission trims DPW cemetery request by $7,500

WAYLAND -- December 2, 2024, Wayland Trust Fund Commission caps a DPW cemetery request at $62,417 instead of $70,000. The panel voted 3-0 Monday to disburse $5,000 for Park Division landscape materials and $57,417.05 for cemetery salaries from the Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund, well short of the $65,000 salary line DPW Director Tom Holder requested, a $15,000 jump over the historical $50,000 draw. Commissioner Adam Garrett Gutbezahl, chairing, said the trust "is not there to mask" coming town budget strains, and Barry S. Rothschild said it is "not the trust's job to keep up with the salary increases." Commissioners also approved a $231.81 Swain Fund disbursement to the Wayland Free Public Library for children's books. Bartholomew & Company reported the pooled trusts at roughly $5.25 million, up 5.79 percent net of fees since July 1, with a 6.59 percent annualized return since 2013.