Date: Fri 20-Feb-1998

By STEVE BIGHAM

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

council-Kortze-Rochman-budget

Full Text:

Council Eager To Get Grand List Figures

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Legislative Council member John Kortze is frustrated. He wants to calculate a

tax rate based on spending proposals currently before the council, but he is

still waiting for final grand list figures.

Mr Kortze, the chairman of the council's finance committee, is counting on a

lot of revenue this year to offset what is expected to be a significant budget

increase.

"I think this is an extraordinary year," Mr Kortze said of the proposed $57.8

million town budget. "We have a very difficult budget to deal with and finding

a happy medium will be difficult."

Under normal circumstances, the town's grand list would have already been

released. However, the tax assessor received an extension, so the

all-important figure won't be made available until later this month. The grand

list is the amount of all taxable items in town.

The Board of Education recently approved a $32.7 million school budget, which

represents more than a $3 million increase (10.1 percent). The school board

only cut out a total of $105,000 (three tenths of one percent) from the

superintendent's proposal, making the council's job that much more difficult.

The Board of Selectmen has also submitted a significant budget increase,

passing on a $25 million budget, which represents an increase of 3.1 percent.

As for the grand list, town officials expect its increase to be significantly

higher than it was for this current year when it went up just half a percent.

Until the grand list is in, however, the council is avoiding any predictions

as to what it might do with the proposed budget.

"It is difficult to guess what we might do until we have the revenue side,"

said chairman Pierre Rochman. "There is at least a $1 million increase in the

grand list. That's a conservative estimate, though. We're certainly hoping for

more than that."

The council, which has the final say on the budget before passing it on to the

voters in April, is currently looking at additional revenues to offset the

requests, including the sale of tax liens. However, council members say some

cuts to the proposed budget will undoubtedly have to be made.

"Nobody wants to make cuts, but I think we have a responsibility to present a

budget to the taxpayers that is responsible," Mr Kortze said.

Each year, however, the council struggles with the same scenario: should it

make cuts or should it simply hand it over to the people and let them decide?

The average taxpayer does not know the ins and outs of the budget, according

to Mr Kortze. He said it's not their function to, it is the responsibility of

the council.

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Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Fri 20-Feb-1998

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