It took a bit of asking but we did get a paper copy of the FY23 budget of the Peabody Municipal Light Plant. But, the total amount of the budget is not identified and the Action Plans cited are not available until they are approved, which might happen at the next PMLP meeting on January 26. If they are approved at that meeting the Action Plans, which describe how the approved budget will be spent, will be available the week of January 30.

Our tabulation of the proposed budget amounts listed per category totals $143,6 million.

PMLP has not posted the proposed budget publicly. Upon request, we received a copy in the mail but since it did not arrive in a timely fashion, we picked up a copy at PMLP.

Here is a link to a PDF of the document we received. https://breathecleannorthshore.org/…/PMLP_2023_Budget.pdf

If it is discussed at the January 26 meeting, the only opportunity to comment is during the public participation period early in the meeting – prior to any discussion by the board.

BCNS is preparing questions to submit prior to the meeting but without the Action Plans referred to in the budget document, it’s difficult to know what the expenditures refer to.

Additionally, the actual funds expended on a budget item in 2022 is not identified in much of the budget.

Manager Joe Anastasi said in December that the budget would be released in electronic form only this year. He said the document will be “available on December 23 and one month will be provided for review. It will be considered at the January 26, 2023 regular meeting of the Light Commission.”

Happy reading!