Health District Approves A Budget

By Jan Howard

The Board of Directors of the Newtown Health District unanimously approved its proposed 2000-2001 budget of $351,486.04 at its meeting April 10.

There is no increase in borough or town of Newtown assessments for the budget, Health District Director Mark Cooper said. The local contribution under the proposed budget remains the same as that of the current year, $205,564.35 for the town and $19,488.63 for the borough.

No members of the public attended a hearing on March 22 regarding the budget, according to Chairman James Smith.

The Health District budget is up $7,510.80, or about 2.2 percent more than the current budget of $343,975.24, because of additional funding in the state per capita grant fund and anticipated salary increases as a result of union negotiations, he said. The current contract was for a two-year period and will need to be negotiated, he said.

The Health District also helps the Visiting Nurse Association by paying for the cost of nurse assessments of the homebound, Mr Cooper said.

The Board of Selectmen and the Legislative Council approved the budget as presented, he said.

The budget is as follows: salaries, $224,209.80, up $1,523.22 from the current year’s budget; operating expenses, $13,978.32, down $191.66; contractual, $15,000, up $1,408; transportation, $14,015, no change; health insurance, $40,731.21, no change; workers compensation, $6,446.95, no change; legal/financial, $5,650, down $1,150; contingency/fund balance, $10,074.20, up $1,905.68; and social security, $21,380.56, up $4,015.56.

Anticipated revenues include a state per capita block grant of $42,619.11 and a block grant of $3,600. The district projects $51,000 in fees and carryover of $29,213.95.

 Copies of the proposed budget are on file for review in the office of the Newtown Health District, Canaan House, 4 Fairfield Circle South on the Fairfield Hills campus, and the office of the Town Clerk, Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street, Newtown.

In other business, Mr Cooper said the state Department of Health is offering modem and Internet access communication on a trial basis for one year.  According to Mr Cooper, the Internet access would provide direct links to the Center for Disease Control and the state commissioner of health office in case of an emergency.

Board members indicated their willingness to participate but said they would keep the Web page the District currently has until a final decision is made on the state page following the trial year.

“It’s prudent to keep what we have and do the one-year trial,” Mr Cooper said. He said the Health District would get technological information much faster and from the state’s perspective the Internet would be a more cost effective and efficient approach to notification in the event of an emergency situation.