The Board of Selectmen completed its work on the municipal side of the 2019-20 budget request February 4 and moved it to the Board of Finance after making several late adjustments.

The finance board is scheduled to take its turn deliberating both the town and school district budget requests following a public hearing scheduled for 7 pm on Thursday, February 14.

Once the two budget proposals are reviewed and any changes or recommendations rendered, the spending plan moves to the Legislative Council, where it is split up and various sections are reviewed by one of three council committees before those committees report to the full council and further discussion is completed.

After the council completes and makes its final recommendations, the separate budget requests, along with any specific capital spending ballot authorizations, goes to voters for endorsement or rejection in the annual budget referendum scheduled for April 23.

A budget overview is available on Page B9 of this week's print edition of The Newtown Bee.

First Selectman Dan Rosenthal is requesting a 2.75 percent increase over the 2018-19 adopted budget. That proposal includes a $250,000 proposed increase in the Capital Roads line for continued local road improvements and maintenance.

The total proposed town-side spend — including all debt service on capital projects, counting those associated with the school district — is currently $42,195,736, a $1,128,759 increase over the current adopted budget.

The Board of Education unanimously approved its 2019-20 budget for $78,104,410, a roughly 2.7 percent increase from the current year’s budget, at its February 5 meeting (see related story on Page A1 of this week's print edition or online at newtownbee.com).

Read more of the final adjustments to the budget proposal in this week's print edition of The Newtown Bee - on local newsstands or subscribe by calling 203-426-3141 or by clicking HERE.

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