First Selectman Pat Llodra is expecting to wade right in with her colleagues next Tuesday, January 18, as the Board of Selectmen meet and begin to deliberate on the 2011-12 municipal budget proposal. Mrs Llodra said that she and Finance Director Robert Tait plan to complete compiling budget documents by Friday, January 14, so the board can not only formally receive the proposal, but have time to consider a package of small department and support service requests the first selectman hopes to act on January 18.

“We’ll walk the board through the budget [proposal] and do as many small accounts as possible,” Mrs Llodra said. “These are comprised of requests from social services agencies and some municipal departments like the town clerk and tax collector. These budgets only have a few lines, so there won’t be much to discuss.”

Selectman William Furrier said he was expecting to receive the documents so they could be reviewed over the weekend. He added that he was looking forward to getting into the budget process.

“This will be similar to last year where we will handle a number of the noncontroversial items quickly,” he said.

Selectman Will Rodgers also said he would be prepared to entertain as much deliberation and action on minor budget details as time permits Tuesday evening.

Mrs Llodra said she plans to hold follow-up special budget meetings with her board Thursday, January 20, and Monday, January 24. If the proposal cannot be finalized by then, a backup meeting date has been reserved on Wednesday, January 26.

“Thursday, we’ll do at least three major departments, and next Monday we’ll do the rest,” Mrs Llodra said. She is anticipating moving through deliberations efficiently because for the most part, the proposal presents as relatively flat.

One of the challenges she anticipates, however, is deliberating the spending plan without a clear picture of revenues. She said Mr Tait has prepared the proposal approximating a reduction in income from a combination of state and federal grants, fees, and taxation.

“We think we’ll see a ten percent decline across the board,” Ms Llodra said.

Preliminarily and preemptively, the first selectman and finance director requested all departments come forward with status quo budget requests.

“We told them to present with no expansions, just a carryover in services from this year,” Mrs Llodra said.

One of the few requests for increases on the town side is coming from the Police Department, which is challenged to balance a need to tap its overtime budget to compensate for a depleted workforce that includes two officers out on administrative leave, one out for an extended health-related concern, and one position that was vacated by an officer moving to the State Police force in 2010, which was never filled.

She said Police Chief Michael Kehoe has so far kept overtime in check, while scheduling his under-manned patrol force with its negotiated minimum manning clause — as stipulated in the police labor contract.

She also said her own selectman’s budget requests $3,200 for a software package that will enable property owners to pay their local property taxes via the Internet through the town’s municipal website.

Mrs Llodra said she will also look for increased funding to underwrite an improved town website design that provides a rich interactive suite of services, including the ability for residents to stream live or archived video files of selected town meetings, hearings, and other activities.

The proposed new town site will also have a calendar feature where qualified local organizations can post planned activities.

The first selectman anticipates a slight increase overall in the initial proposal that will also accommodate the latest negotiated wage increases, including those anticipated as the town hall workforce enters negotiations that will likely impact the next fiscal cycle.

Mrs Llodra said, however, that that town-side salary increases will be offset by reductions in the town’s health insurance program as employees shift to a fully self-funded system. Participants would also provide increase contributions in the 2011 proposal.

The only other officials on the town side dealing with budget-related business at this early stage of the process are members of the Legislative Council’s Education Committee, who met with Superintendent Janet Robinson and school board Chairman William Hart January 6. (See related story.)

Education Committee Chair Kathryn Fetchick said she called the meeting to discuss any issues that school officials anticipated would be of potential concern or controversy as budget meetings on the district side commence in the coming weeks.