Selectmen Whittle Away

At Department Spending Requests

By Steve Bigham

The Board of Selectmen this week began deliberating town agency requests totaling $30.9 million, which represented a 12.7 percent increase over the current town budget. By the end of the week, however, that increase was expected to be lowered to 7.5 percent or less, exclusive of debt.

“I’m convinced we’ll be under 7.5 percent by the time we’re finished. It’s just a question of how much lower,” First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said Thursday after trimming the Public Works request by nearly $500,000 the night before.

The town’s proposed budget for 2001-2002 includes $8.1 million in debt service, which represents a $1.1 million increase over the current year. The increase is due mainly to the anticipation of the construction of the 5/6 school, purchase of Fairfield Hills, and town and recreation space needs. These three items are expected to cost the town $40 million to be paid over 20 years.

Because of this big jump in debt service, the finance committee of the Legislative Council has stipulated that both the selectmen and Board of Education keep their operating budgets at or below 7.5 percent.

Last week, Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed unveiled a proposed $43.2 million budget, representing a 9.5 percent increase over the current operating budget. Dr Reed’s budget is approximately $800,000 over the finance committee’s spending cap. In an effort to fall within the cap, the schools chief is seeking to have certain capital items taken out of his operating budget and placed in the town’s capital improvement plan for bonding.

On Wednesday, the selectmen went a long way toward lowering the budget when they cut $200,000 out of the highway department budget (including a large truck) and another $250,000 out of the public building capital budget. Savings in capital items included Public Works Director Fred Hurley’s suggestion to use an existing building to house the highway department’s new truck wash system now required by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). More capital funds were saved when the selectmen cut $100,000 out of the $430,000 waterline hookup in Sandy Hook, which will serve the elementary school, nearby firehouse, and the senior center.

Also on Wednesday, the selectmen cut out a $150,000 request from the Conservation Commission for open space land purchases. The selectmen said they would review that issue next week.

The selectmen made moderate cuts to the police and town hall managers budgets earlier in the week (see related story).

On Thursday, the selectmen were slated to continue their deliberations with much of their attention being focused on the library and Parks & Recreation budgets. The Booth Library’s $750,000 request shows an increase of $68,000.

 “That seems a little excessive to me, but I haven’t met with them yet,” Mr Rosenthal said.

Parks & Recreation’s $1.4 million request is up $120,000.

“I didn’t see anything unusual with the Parks & Recreation budget. It’s up a small percentage,” Mr Rosenthal said. “Last year, it was up $300,000 even after we cut them back. A lot of the increases are ‘wash’ items because there are offsetting revenues for those. When you take those out, the only increases are in salaries.”

Both the town and Board of Education budgets will be passed on to the Legislative Council later this month. Council Chairman Pierre Rochman said he is pleasantly surprised with what he has seen so far. He expected to see higher proposed budget increases, particularly on the Board of Education side.

“I’m fairly optimistic having seen Dr Reed’s requested budget and having read the town side. It does seem we ought to come in within the finance committee’s guidelines of a 7.5 percent increase,” he said.

Mr Rochman added, however, that the school board’s request that certain capital expenses be funded outside the operating budget could be a “sticking point.”

The Board of Selectmen was expected to take up the town budget one last time at its regular meeting Monday night at the library.