Date: Fri 20-Mar-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

council-budget

Full Text:

Council Restores Money In Two Budget Areas

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The Board of Education may not have convinced the Legislative Council to

restore funds to its budget, but a handful of other organizations did.

The council had sliced $6,500 from the town's health district request of

$223,753 last week. That money was put back Tuesday night, however, after a

compelling speech by Mark Cooper, who reminded the council that the increase

was only 1.5 percent, which is slim considering all the added environmental

problems and food inspections that the district handles. There are 66

full-service restaurants in Newtown, according to the district.

"We have no cushion to absorb these cuts," he said. "I don't know how we can

make up those funds without cuts in staff."

Karen Blawie made a motion to have the health district funds restored and it

was approved by the council unanimously. Members said they did not have a good

understanding for the needed increase previously.

Newtown Youth Services also had $7,500 restored to its original request of

$67,500. Council members, with a recommendation from the administrative

committee, had voted to make the cuts thinking the increased request was

directly related to a decrease in fundraising.