Date: Fri 23-Feb-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

budget-town-Cascella-council

Full Text:

Cascella Proposes $18.7 Million Town Budget

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

Calling it a bare-bones plan, First Selectman Bob Cascella Wednesday night

presented to Legislative Council the proposed 1996-97 municipal budget of

$18,776,278, which is up four percent over the current year.

"This budget is not fat in any way, shape or form," Mr Cascella told the

council. "It is needed to run the town at a level the citizens desire and are

used to."

Mr Cascella said he deleted $1.7 million in requests by department heads

before producing his budget. The Board of Selectmen also cut another $60,000

before approving the budget on a 2-1 vote last month.

Most of the budget increase is due to a three percent salary increase for all

town employees. But Mr Cascella also asked for $40,000 to create a position of

human resources (personnel) director, $37,000 for computer equipment, and

$800,000 to renovate Town Hall South.

"Town government is a $19 million business with 135 employees and I feel very

strongly that a human resources director is needed," he said, adding that he

also had asked for the position last year but it had been cut from the budget.

The first selectman said that only a few departments of town government have

computers. The $37,000 would be a first phase of a multi-year project that

eventually would link all departments in Edmond Town Hall, Town Hall South and

the Senior Center.

The budget also includes $59,500 for five replacement police cars and $130,000

for a fire truck tanker, for a total budget increase of $731,781.

As part of the proposed budget, Mr Cascella recommended the town use part of

the $2 million audited surplus from 1994-95 to pay for the $800,000 cost of

renovating Town Hall South. The remaining $1.2 million should be used to

offset taxes next year, he said, even though the budget includes a request to

bond $1 million in road reconstruction costs in addition to the $1 million for

roads already in the budget.

If the entire $2 million for roads is put into the budget, the budget probably

will be voted down, he predicted, because of other expenses the town is

facing.

"Next year is an incredibly unique year because of the revaluation," Mr

Cascella said. "We also will have an increase in debt service because of the

Booth Library project, possible approval of the school expansion projects and

a year from now we will see the costs of the borough sewer system."

Council member Joseph McGowan, who is chairman of the finance committee, asked

Mr Cascella to predict what the impact of using the audited surplus might be

on the mill rate now that revaluation has been completed.

Mr Cascella said he could only hazard a guess because the town budget has not

yet been completed. The school board is asking for a 5.6 percent budget

increase, he said, and if the high school and Hawley School projects are

approved, this could add another $3 million in debt service to the budget each

year as well.

"But I'd say the mill rate could be roughly at 25 to 26 mills," he said. "A

mill previously represented $1 million in spending; now it will be more like

$1.4 million."

The current tax rate is 32 mills. The owner of a house assessed at $100,000

paid $3,200 in taxes this year. The average residential property increased 40

percent in last year's revaluation, however, so that same property now might

be assessed at $140,000. With a mill rate of 26, that property owner would pay

$3,640 in real estate taxes, an increase of $440.

During the next month the council will hold subcommittee meetings to review

the budget. Public hearings then will be held before the combined municipal

and school budget goes to a referendum in April.