After hearing from two members of the public requesting added funds to expand Senior Center hours and programming, and a pitch to increase the Parks & Rec capital budget, the Board of Finance moved an amended 2020-21 spending plan to the Legislative Council on February 27.

The Board of Selectmen previously approved and moved a municipal budget proposal to the Board of Finance for review totaling $43,211,955 — a 2.45 percent bump from the current spending plan. The Board of Education unanimously approved its $79,201,776 budget proposal for 2020-21 on February 4 — a 1.4 percent increase over the current budget.

After deliberation and several motions, the finance board made a $95,000 net reduction to a bottom line budget request of $112,435,218 that was presented to the council March 4. Council Chairman Paul Lundquist said he is anticipating scheduling a public hearing on the budget for March 18, after which time his panel will begin formal deliberations.

Once a final number is ratified for the school district and municipality, the two requests will be included on an April 28 budget ballot along with several bonding authorizations and anticipated advisory questions on a Fairfield Hills Master Plan proposal for mixed-use development. It should be noted that the municipal budget carries all debt service on capital borrowing, including bonding for school district projects.

According to documentation from Town Finance Director Robert Tait, that bottom line adjusted tax levy (assuming at least a 99.2 percent tax collection rate) includes $1,385,000 in local elderly/disabled tax benefits, $154,000 in state elderly tax credits, and $120,000 in property tax reductions granted to qualified local emergency services volunteers from five fire companies, the local ambulance corps, and the Newtown Underwater Search & Rescue (NUSAR) squad.

If moved to voters with no further changes by the council and subsequently approved by voters, the proposed budget would generate a 0.60 percent tax increase and a 2020-21 mill rate of 34.98 — up from the current 34.77. A mill represents $1 in taxation for every $1,000 in taxable property.

Parks Capital Proposal

Prior to finance board deliberation February 27, Parks & Rec Commission Chairman Ed Marks and Assistant Director of Parks Carl Samuelson made a request to increase that department’s capital budget line. Mr Marks said the selectmen’s capital line of $78,375, reduced from the requested $150,000 was “frustrating,” and would complicate capital planning for the department.

The main issues for the parks department involve the replacement of an aging and mechanically compromised 2006 Ford F-550 truck with an F-350 class vehicle. Marks said the department currently has three trucks in poor enough condition to warrant being replaced.

Samuelson said his research shows F-550 models used by various town departments have a 14-year practical service life versus the 350s, which typically last 10.5 years. He also hoped to sell a recently off-lease Toro commercial mower, using the trade-in allowance to acquire a brand new model on a five-year lease-to-own program costing $125,000.

Samuelson also hoped to reserve $25,000 for a pull-behind mower that would supplement the Toro and provide a viable alternative if the Toro was in for service during heavy use periods.

“The second mower would be a backup,” he said. “If it went down we could get away for a week — if any longer, we’d have to rent one.”

He said the department’s largest and most costly mower runs every day during a typical 28-30 week season providing two cuts per week on all athletic fields.

As the finance board turned toward discussion and final action on the budget requests, Chair Sandy Roussas thanked all the school and municipal officials who came in or responded to written questions she tendered on behalf of her board, as well as members of the council who also had specific questions from department heads, the first selectman or school superintendent.

After accepting a motion on the current selectmen/school board requests, finance board member Matthew Mihalcik motioned to reduce the school district proposal by $100,000, noting the level of surplus existing in a district non-lapsing account.

Finance member Keith Alexander — a former school board chairman — said he would not support that motion, adding that one new special education student requiring extensive support could drain that reserve account substantially and without advance notice.

The motion to reduce the school district proposal by $100,000 passed on a 4-2 vote.

Municipal Amendments

Moving to the municipal budget, a motion to increase the Senior Center revenue estimate by $5,000 based on anticipated growth in membership, and by an added $5,000, was introduced as part of a multi-tiered amendment by finance board member Ned Simpson. He said the revenue increase would offset an allocation he hoped to see made to acquire new Senior Center administration software and maintenance — at $1,900 — with the balance being devoted to increasing member programming.

Colleague Christopher Gardner then made a friendly amendment to increase senior center revenues by $10,000, but that met with some resistance from First Selectman Dan Rosenthal, who believed that projection was a bit too aggressive.

“If we earn more than is budgeted it will go into fund balance, but I don’t want to be too overzealous — we need to be careful,” the first selectman remarked, adding that the Human Services Director is currently evaluating fee structures for membership and programming. “I don’t want to end up with a revenue shortage if we set the [number] too high.”

The amendment vote failed 4-2 and the original amendment to increase Senior Center revenues by $5,000, and the Health & Welfare line for the software and program increases then passed unanimously.

Gardner then motioned to increase a municipal revenue line for the local Educational Cost Sharing grant by $50,000, arguing that such an adjustment would not affect district programming, although it would have some fractional positive impact on an overall budget increase.

Simpson concurred saying the motion, if approved, would only pose a “modest risk to taxpayers.”

The finance director reminded the board that the state is acting to reduce ECS grants to more affluent communities, and Roussas said Newtown should adopt practices positioning the community to absorb reductions in future ECS allocations.

Tait calculated adding the $50,000 to the ECS revenue estimate would reduce the potential mill rate from what was then 34.98, to 34.96. Rosenthal added that if the ECS reduction to Newtown was too draconian, it would force the town to dip into its fund balance, while making added departmental budget reductions.

“Losing revenue is the same as spending more,” the first selectman said.

A vote on the motion failed 4-2 with Gardner and Simpson supporting it.

Mihalcik then suggested a $15,000 reduction to the Highway Department winter maintenance budget request, which Rosenthal said could be risky if next winter is measurably worse.

The motion to accept the combined budget as amended and to move it to the council then passed unanimously.