Date: Fri 03-Nov-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Cascella-Smith-budget-election

Full Text:

Campaign Closes With Parting Shots Over Budgeting

As the election campaign wound to a close, Newtown's Democrats criticized the

Republican administration for its claim to have held down taxes for the last

two years.

"In both newspaper advertisements and public statements, the first selectman

has claimed that his efforts were responsible for the low mill rate increase

over the last two years," said Earl J. Smith Jr, Democratic candidate for

first selectman. "The facts dispute (this)."

In a news release from campaign headquarters, Mr Smith said the real reasons

why the mill rate increased by only one mill over the last two years were

"increases in revenues, not control or reduction of expenditures."

"The current administration was the beneficiary of a large surplus from the

1993-94 budget of the last Democratic administration of over $2.2 million,

plus two consecutive years of over four percent growth in the taxable grand

list as compared to prior years, where growth averaged about two percent," Mr

Smith said.

Mr Smith said First Selectman Bob Cascella increased operating expenditures by

8.7 percent in his 1994-95 budget and by 9.3 percent in the 1995-96 budget,

amounting to a total increase of 18.8 percent, or more than $2.1 million over

the two years.

"Since it takes one mill in taxes to pay for approximately $1 million of

expenditures, without the increased revenues, you can see what the first

selectman's efforts would have done to the mill rate," Mr Smith said.

Mr Cascella questioned why his opponents waited until after four debates were

held to bring this subject up as an issue.

"We had a cablevision appearance, Pizza & Politics, the Rotary debate and a

joint (newspaper) interview," Mr Cascella said. "I didn't hear any of this

then. I have to wonder why it all pops up in press releases and position

papers. To lay out something after the fact shows questionable motives but is

typical of their entire agenda."

Mr Cascella said his budgets, as originally proposed, would have required no

tax increase in either year. The selectmen and the council decided to add $1

million in road reconstruction costs to the operating budget, rather than bond

it, which forced the one mill increase this year, he said.

The 1994-95 budget used surplus funds and funds generated by the growth in the

grand list to make a number of one-time capital purchases for equipment and

vehicles for the Parks and Recreation Department, public works and the police

department, he said.

"We used our resources to pay for these much needed capital items rather than

bonding for them as previous administrations had done," Mr Cascella said. "At

the same time we kept the mill rate down."

Mr Cascella pointed out that Mr Smith was a member of Legislative Council both

budget years and Mr Smith's running mate, Gary Fetzer, was on the Board of

Selectmen.

"Both years the budgets got the unanimous approval of the Board of Selectmen

and the Legislative Council. It seems to tell me we're doing something right,"

he said.