Date: Fri 26-Apr-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

budget-vote-cuts

Full Text:

Vote On Revised Budget Set May 8

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

A special town meeting has been scheduled for 7:30 pm on Wednesday, May 8, at

the high school to vote on the revised $49.6 million municipal/school budget

for 1996-97.

"I really hope people will come out and support the budget. I don't want to

see this budget defeated," said First Selectman Bob Cascella. "The budget has

already been impacted by a $350,000 cut in road funds. Residents want good

roads, good park and rec facilities and an efficient town government, but this

requires adequate funding."

The revised budget is $700,000 less than the $50.3 million rejected in the

April 23 referendum when only 20 percent of the registered voters turned out

to cast ballots on the largest proposed budget in the town's history.

Responding to the 85-vote defeat, the Legislative Council met on April 24 and

decided to cut $350,000 from the town's capital road reconstruction budget and

$350,000 from the debt service for the proposed school projects.

The $700,000 cut would reduce the proposed tax rate by about one-half mill to

25 mills. Property owners can predict what their 1996-97 tax bill will be by

multiplying their new property assessment by .025.

Voters at the town meeting have the power to decrease or delete any item from

the budget but not to add to the total budget nor to any specific budget area.

If the budget is defeated, it goes back to the council for reconsideration.

If the budget is approved at the town meeting, the action is final and not

subject to a referendum.

To petition for a referendum, petitions bearing the signatures of 578

registered voters from Newtown would have to be submitted to the town clerk by

4:30 pm Thursday, May 2. As of Thursday morning, no one had requested the

required petition forms from the town clerk's office.

Board of Education Chairman Herb Rosenthal has vowed to continue with the

proposed projects at the high school, Hawley School and Head O'Meadow despite

the council's cut in financing for the estimated $32 million package. The

$350,000 cut in the debt service amounts to a $3.5 million cut in the bonding

for the projects.

Last week bids for the estimated $3.5 million renovation/expansion of Hawley

School came in higher than expected. The lowest bid was nearly $3.8 million

and did not include several hundred thousand dollars in additional costs which

must be included.

Bids on the projected $28 million high school expansion were received on

Wednesday but the analysis has not yet been completed, according to Mr

Rosenthal.

"We hope that between the bids and the (school district's) cash flow, we will

be able to accomplish all of the projects," he said.

On Wednesday night the Legislative Council authorized the Board of Education

to file an application to the State of Connecticut for a grant for the

anticipated $600,000 roof replacement at Head O'Meadow School. The roof and

the projects at Hawley School and the high school still must be approved by

voters at a town meeting.