Date: Fri 05-Apr-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

budget-council-growth

Full Text:

Budget Hearing Raises Questions About Growth

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

Last Saturday morning's public hearing on the town's proposed $50.3 million

budget brought out more residents than in recent years, but most people in the

audience directed their comments at a larger issue than next year's spending:

the boom in residential development and its demands on public services.

"The problem is the growth of the town," said Mark Dennen of Old Green Road.

"Residential growth produces a net loss of revenue to the town. There are more

students which require more teachers and more classrooms. There are more

roads, more police and other services. The town needs to attract industry and

be much more aggressive in controlling growth."

"There's an easy way to stop growth," Richard DePaulo of Mt Pleasant Road told

the Legislative Council. "Keep raising taxes. Raise taxes another five mills,

and I guarantee you won't have this problem."

The hearing in the Middle School auditorium was the second and final hearing

before the budget goes to an automatic referendum on April 23.

First Selectman Bob Cascella said the municipal budget shows an $839,975

increase, $350,000 of which is for road reconstruction. He explained that

increases in the salary accounts for the highway and police departments

reflect two year's worth of salary increases, amounting to about three percent

each year, although employees now are making "give-backs" in other areas.

The fire department budget includes $130,000 for a tanker for the Sandy Hook

company to carry water to fires in neighborhoods that don't have hydrants or

readily available groundwater supplies. Other budget increases include

$100,000 for the town's self-funded health insurance program, $36,000 to

purchase computers for town departments, and $40,000 to hire a personnel

director.

Unlike the first public hearing, in which several people criticized the

$40,000 expenditure for a personnel director, residents at the Saturday

morning hearing said the town probably needs to spend even more money to get

the caliber of professional that is being proposed.

"You won't get a skilled professional for $40,000 - you'll get a paper

pusher," said Steve Kotch of Sugar Lane. "You'll still have to hire outside

specialists."

"I recognize the need in a town that is growing in size for someone

knowledgeable about labor relations, benefits, workmen's compensation, but it

seems to be an indication of the need for a town manager," said David Nanavaty

of Currituck Road.

Robert Parzick of Walnut Tree Hill Road said the town isn't paying enough

attention to its discretionary spending. "You aren't proactive," he told the

council. "You aren't looking for areas to save. The best budget is a zero

based budget - your goal is not to spend incrementally with the growth in

population."

A Growing Town

Mr Cascella said there is an even bigger issue than the amount of money that

is being spent to accommodate the growth in the community.

"There's a real issue about the environment," he said. "We have to protect our

water - its quality and quantity - and the aquifer."

The first selectman said a public forum on residential growth will be held on

May 14 at the high school to address the problems caused by residential growth

and to look for solutions.

Mr Cascella said the town expects to receive $9 million in revenue next year,

up from $7 million this year, including $1 million in state grants for the

proposed high school and Hawley School addition/renovation projects.

The largest increase in the budget, nearly $3.5 million, is for debt service,

including $3.1 million for the two schools projects and a new roof for Head

O'Meadow School. (This money will be removed from the budget if the projects

are not approved in a separate vote by residents in May.) The remainder is

debt service for the Booth Library expansion and for road reconstruction

projects.

The proposed school budget of $28 million is up 4.57 percent from the current

year. Enrollment is expected to increase 3.5 percent next year and other

increases are in the areas of transportation costs, special education,

negotiated salary increases of about three percent, and higher employee

benefit costs.

School Board President Herb Rosenthal said Newtown ranked 51st among the

state's 169 towns in per pupil spending in 1977 but has dropped to 142nd and

still manages to produce students who rank among the highest in the state.

"Six years ago about 26 percent of our budget was covered by state aid - it's

down to 15.9 percent today but the state hasn't eliminated its mandates," he

said.

Mr Dennen said per pupil spending is no indication of the job the schools are

doing. "Newark spends more than any other town in New Jersey," he pointed out.

Teachers should be paid based on their students' achievement on standardized

tests. Good teachers should be rewarded and poor teachers should be weeded

out, he said.

Jack Bonacchi of Castle Hill Road said the taxes required to pay for the

town's capital projects are "hitting the public too hard, too fast." Town

government has to face the same issues that the corporate world is facing -

"how to do more with less," he said.

Main Street resident Sherry Bermingham said the town should move some of its

offices and the temporary library to Fairfield Hills "to show the state we are

serious about using that facility."

There are only two choices for the future, said Joan Salbu of Hanover Road.

"The town needs to grow, move ahead and improve or it will fall behind."

Paula Newberry of Antler Pine Road also supported the budget increases,

explaining that since 1989 nearly 900 new building permits have been issued in

town. "Even if no more permits are issued, there are still 400 building

permits out there for uncompleted projects," she said.

Council President Joseph Mahoney said the town is in a transition, with 150 to

200 houses being built each year and about 300 more students entering school

in the past two years.

But Councilman Joseph McGowan said Mr Mahoney shouldn't respond to the

comments made by residents during the hearing. "We're here to listen," Mr

McGowan said. "If you are answering, you are not speaking for me. I do not

agree that there is real growth and I think the school board's numbers are

suspect."

Road Conditions

Some residents complained about the condition of town roads. Mr Cascella said

the town is committing $2 million to road reconstruction in this budget in

addition to the money in the highway budget for ongoing maintenance. As soon

as the asphalt plants open this spring, roadwork will resume, he said.

David Nanavaty asked about the town's commitment to the Children's Adventure

Center, a town-subsidized day care facility in Sandy Hook. Legislative Council

member Karen Blawie explained that the amount in the budget appears to be less

because the state changed its grants formula from a fiscal year to a calendar

year. Town funding will remain at $20,000, she said.

The town needs to collect $37 million in taxes next year to support the

budget, which will be up 11.6 percent over the current year, mostly because of

the increase in debt service. According to the most recent estimates, based on

anticipated state aid, the mill rate for the $50.3 million budget will be 25.5

mills.