Following Defeat At Polls—

Budget Trimmed By $2.1 Million

By Steve Bigham

The Legislative Council voted Tuesday to trim the proposed 2000-01 town budget by $2.1 million one week after the originally proposed budget was defeated at the polls. The new budget – to be voted on at a May 15 town meeting – has been reduced from a 2.9 mill increase to an increase of just 1.6 mills.

The council’s decision was based on a recommendation from its finance committee, which met April 27, two days after voters struck down the budget – 1,632 to 1,413.

In a unanimous decision, council members voted to cut $500,000 out of the Board of Education’s budget, $250,000 in funding for Fairfield Hills, and $200,000 from the Parks & Recreation budget. In addition, the council agreed to put off spending $1.1 million worth of debt service for the school board’s proposed 5/6 school, which town officials now agree will not be ready to go forward until next year.

“It’s a $2.1 million reduction to this year’s budget, of which $1.1 million is being postponed until next year, so it’s really only $1 million in true cuts,” noted John Kortze, the council’s finance committee chairman.

The new bottom line is $66.9 million – $39.4 million for Board of Education and $27.5 million for the town.

The council originally planned to cut a total of $350,000 (instead of $250,000) out of the Parks & Recreation fund – a move that would have all but killed any plans to build fields at the Amaral property. However, council member Donald Studley suggested an additional $100,000 be cut from debt service – a move finance director Ben Spragg said could be absorbed.

In addition, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal announced Tuesday that material from a town-owned stockpile of fill will be used to grade the Amaral property along Elm Drive. This is expected to net the town more than $200,000 in savings, especially since town workers will do much of the rough grading and construction of parking (see related story).

Mr Rosenthal said he did not expect the project to create the need for overtime hours.

Council member Joe Borst suggested the council cut $100,000 less out of both the Board of Education and Parks & Rec budgets and cut more out of the line item for Fairfield Hills. As he pointed out, the town probably will not own the campus by July of next year. However, his motion failed, 10-1.

“This money is not just for policing the property,” noted Melissa Pilchard, adding that it may also be used for the creation of a master plan for the 185-acre former state mental health hospital.

Talk of the money being used for something like a master plan pleased council member Ruby Johnson, a leader in the push to purchase Fairfield Hills. “I think it is important for the public to know that there are tangible things that this money is going to be used for,” she said.

However, Board of Education member Lisa Schwartz argued that Fairfield Hills remains intangible since residents have still not approved purchase of it. Why not use that money for schools and ball fields? she wondered.

“We have tangible, identifiable needs in the Board of Education and Parks & Rec. They are being compromised by the intangibles at Fairfield Hills,” she said.

Resident Pat Barczak voiced his frustration over last week’s referendum outcome.

“People voted as they always had. They just think things are going to go away. These things aren’t going to go away,” he said early on Tuesday night. “I urge [the council] to spread around the pain rather than to focus on the Amaral property and the Board of Education.”

Resident Ted Ruddick voiced his disappointment in last week’s rejection of the budget, wondering if voters misunderstood its content.

Mr Rosenthal said he expects the new budget plan will pass. However, he took a moment to express his disappointment in the fact that only 12 percent of the town’s voters turned out last week to vote “yes” for something that they had said they really wanted. Nevertheless, the vote against the budget was clear cut, and he credited the council’s finance committee for coming up with a new proposal.