Council Budget Hearing

Set For March 24

By Jan Howard

The Legislative Council will conduct a public hearing on Wednesday, March 24, at 7:30 pm, at the Reed Intermediate School on the 2004-05 fiscal year budget of $84,359,922 as recommended by the Board of Finance (See complete budget details on page C8.)

The proposed budget represents a 6½ percent increase over the current year’s budget of $79,737,162. If approved, it would increase the tax rate by 1.5 mills, from 23.4 to 24.9.

The proposed budget includes $31,241,465 for the Board of Selectmen and $53,118,457 for the Board of Education.

The Board of Finance on March 8 approved reductions of $250,000 from the Board of Education bottom line and $570,325 from the Board of Selectmen’s requests.

Reductions to the Board of Selectmen’s budget included: Selectmen other account, nonrecurring supplies, $4,025; capital roads, $70,000; Town Hall Board of Managers, $25,000; C.H. Booth Library, $50,000; emergency management/dive team, $8,000; police patrol cars, $78,800; health insurance, $50,000; and tercentennial, $75,000.

Proposed increased town support for several organizations that serve the needs of Newtown’s residents were reduced to their current levels of funding. The reductions were: Children’s Adventure Center, $5,000; Family Counseling Center, $2,000; Northwest Regional Mental Health Board, $500; Northwest Safety Communications, $1,000; Shelter of the Cross, $500; and WeCAHR, $500.

The Board of Finance also voted to increase debt service by $75,000 to pay for principal and interest for another $1 million in open space acquisition and to reduce debt service funding of $125,000 for Fairfield Hills and $150,000 for the Head O’ Meadow Climate Control project.

The Legislative Council, according to the town charter, must adopt a budget not later than the second Wednesday in April, which is April 14. If it fails to adopt a budget by that date, the Board of Finance budget would stand.

A referendum on the budget is scheduled for April 27.