Finance Director Bob Tait told the Board of Finance October 27 that budget worksheets have been sent to all department heads with a directive that the 2023-24 budget year will be “same services,” ie, that it will add no additional services or new hires, nor any new capital spending.

“It will be a challenging budget year in ‘23-’24,” said Tait.

Tait said the town has already spent on a large number of capital projects through American Rescue Plan funds and the Capital Non-Recurring Fund, so next fiscal year the town will try and avoid having any in its regular budget.

Tait reported that investment values are down for pensions. Over this year, the fund has lost $13,078,933, going from $63,938,726 to $51,104,835. The pension fund represents 1.9% of the budget.

The municipal labor report notes that inflation will remain around 8%, and municipal statewide wage increases are 2.3%. Tait noted that without food and energy, inflation was closer to 6%.

The town is currently in negotiations with the Public Works bargaining unit, which will be settled soon, as well as Parks & Recreation and the Town Hall Unions, which will be settled in May.

BOF member Sandy Roussas inquired about the BOE contract negotiations. BOE Chairman Deb Zukowski was in attendance at the meeting and reported that teacher negotiations were approved and the contract ratified, with the next step being that the BOE will consider the contract for possible approval. The Newtown Bee will be reporting on the teacher’s contract in this issue.

Tait also reported that over the first three months of the medical insurance year, claims have been roughly the same as they were during the same three months last year, not including inflation. The town’s self-insured medical policy is roughly 10% of the budget, so Tait said he always closely monitors that, as increases there could have a profound effect on the budget.

“The medical self-insured plan is good so far,” said Tait. “We’ll keep our fingers crossed.”

The budget worksheets given to department heads are set to return to Tait’s office by early December. During December and January, First Selectman Dan Rosenthal and Tait will do their budget review with department heads; in January, department heads will meet with the Board of Selectmen, with the municipal budget and school district proposals heading to the Board of Finance (if it still exists after a proposed charter revision) in February.

The BOF budget recommendations then go to the Legislative Council for its final review, with a public hearing no later than the end of March. Once the council deliberates and approves the budget requests, they will go to voters at the annual referendum the fourth Tuesday of April.

Associate Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.