Despite lingering discrepancies, the Wareham Fire District will hold a special meeting in on Monday, June 6 in the Town Hall Cafeteria to determine the fiscal year 2012 Wareham Water Department budget.

A vote to approve the department’s budget was tabled after a $170,000 budget shortfall was pointed out during the Wareham Fire District Annual Meeting on April 11.

The fund in question, the "betterment reserve fund," is used to repay the money borrowed for water line extension projects. It is funded by the "betterment" fees paid by property owners served by the water line extensions.

Prudential Committee member George Barrett said the department will have a better idea of the how much money is in the account once April and May betterment fees have been collected.

“The money has been billed and committed,” he said during last month’s joint meeting of the Prudential Committee, Board of Water Commissioners, Clerk/Treasurer Marybeth Fernandes, and Wareham Water Department Superintendent Michael Martin.

It is not clear why there is not enough money in the fund. Betterment fees are set to assure that they will cover all borrowing. The shortfall could be due to property owners not paying betterment fees on time, some betterment fees being used to cover operating expenses, or some combination of the two.

While remaining positive that the budget will be reconciled, Barrett said that if the money is not accounted for during the special meeting and a budget cannot be approved the department may have to increase the cost of water service to atone for the shortfall.

Martin said the Water Commissioners have raised concern about the financial stability of the betterment reserve fund since 2006. He stated there have been a dozen memorandums to Clerk/Treasurer Marybeth Fernandes regarding the issue, but all have gone unanswered.

Last month officials agreed better communication among the boards and the Clerk/Treasurer's office was needed.

“I haven’t seen a consistency of people working together,” said Prudential Committee member Ron Enos. “It’s embarrassing. ... There’s no discussion going on.”

The parties agreed to hold joint meetings more frequently. Additionally, the department’s independent auditor Richard Bienvenue will begin assessing betterment fund transactions during the past ten years in order to chart changes and provide the department will a projection of the account’s future.