Following two weeks of department by department review meetings, the Board of Selectmen made $67,795 in cuts to the proposed 2023-24 municipal budget, leaving a new bottom line of $46,848,647.

The largest reductions included $40,000 from the Insurance line, and $20,000 from the CH Booth Library budget.

The proposed municipal budget now stands at $45,752 less than the 2022-23 adopted budget of $46,891,399, a 0.09 percent reduction. Note: the municipal budget contains debt service for all capital projects including those for the school district.

The spending plan will now be paired with the school budget request and sent to the Board of Finance for review. The total proposed 2023-24 budget when combined with the Board of Education budget is $132,838,316, a $3,812,178 or 2.95 percent increase from the 2022-23 adopted budget of $129,026,038.

The Board of Finance is scheduled to meet next on February 13. At its January 30 meeting, selectmen not only approved a proposed bottom line, but proposed budget requests department by department. Selectmen made four reductions to department line items from First Selectman Dan Rosenthal’s initial proposal.

The Registrars request was reduced by $7,545 after the line item for “other” was refigured and reduced by the registrars, and was amended to $191,930 — a $19,312 or 11.19 percent increase over the 2022-23 adopted budget of $172,618.

The Insurance line was reduced by $40,000 because the town’s workmen’s compensation expense went down 2.2 percent due to experience according to Town Finance Director Robert Tait. The Insurance bottom line was amended to $1,120,000, a $23,515 or 2.06 percent reduction from the 2022-23 adopted budget of $1,143,515.

Since the Newtown VNA had not requested funding from the town for the last two years, $250 was cut from the Health & Welfare line item of the Outside Agencies budget request. The proposed bottom line became $113,645, a $29,700 or 35.38 percent increase from the 2022-23 adopted budget of $83,945.

Finally, Selectman Maureen Crick Owen proposed a $20,000 reduction to the C.H. Booth Library budget. The proposed bottom line became $1,427,231, a $19,610 or 1.39 percent increase over the 2022-23 adopted budget of $1,407,621.

Also approved by the BOS were: Selectmen at $456,650, a $5,381 or .79 percent increase from the 2022-23 adopted budget of $453,069; Selectmen-Other at $165,100, a $5,000 or 3.12 percent increase from $160,100; Human Resources at $137,133, a $12,284 or 9.84 percent increase from $124,849; Tax Collector at $417,782, a $11,343 or 2.79 percent increase from $406,439; and Purchasing at $84,001, a $6,682 or 8.64 percent increase from $77,319.

Additionally, Probate Court at $9,001, a $429 or 5 percent increase from $8,472; Town Clerk at $324,335, a $11,506 or 3.68 percent increase from $312,829; Assessor at $357,148, a $10,555 or 3.05 percent increase from $346,593; Finance at $584,983, a $17,466 or 3.08 percent increase from $567,517; Technology at $797,818, a 20,116 or 2.46 percent reduction from $817,934; and Unemployment at $5,000, a $3,000 or 37.5 percent reduction from $8,000.

Also, OPEB Contribution at $189,160, a $5,047 or 2.74 percent increase from $184,113; Professional Organization at $41,756, a $648 or 1.58 percent increase from $41,108; Legislative Council at $47,940, a $940 or 2 percent increase from $47,000; District Contributions at $5,000, which remained flat from 2022-23; Sustainable Energy at $300, which remained flat; and Fairfield Hills Authority at $40,000, which remained flat.

In addition, Emergency Communications at $1,272,825, a $38,978 or 3.16 percent increase from $1,233,847; Police at $7,806,206, a $286,684 or 3.81 percent increase from $7,519,522; Animal Control at $181,826, a $7,335 or 4.2 percent increase from $174,491; Fire at $1,454,579, a 32,003 or 2.25 percent increase from $1,422,576; and Emergency Management at $40,090, a $24,355 or 37.75 percent reduction from $64,445.

Also, Lake Authorities at $74,117, a $19,382 or 36.07 percent from $53,735; NW Safety Communication at $11,590, which remained flat; Emergency Medical Services at $270,000, which remained flat; NW Connecticut EMS Council at $250, which remained flat; and Building Department at $430,941, a $9,825 or 2.23 percent reduction from $440,766.

Additionally, Highway Department at $9,019,919, a $381,416 or 4.42 percent increase from $8,638,503; Winter Maintenance at $778,430, a $101,359 or 14.97 percent increase from $677,071; Transfer Station at $1,877,029, a $53,513 or 2.93 percent increase from $1,823,516; and Public Building Maintenance at $1,169,470, a $265,419 or 29.36 percent increase from $904,051.

Also, Social Services at $348,968, a $13,241 or 3.94 percent increase from $335,727; Senior Services at $362,137, a $12,749 or 3.65 percent increase from $349,388; Newtown Health District at $454,898, a $20,019 or 4.6 percent increase from $434,879; Newtown Youth and Family Services at $305,467, a $2,020 or .67 percent increase from $303,477; and Children’s Adventure Center at $147,861, a $5,008 or 3.51 percent increase from $142,853.

In addition, Land Use at $757,578, a $17,036 or 2.3 percent increase from $740,542; Economic & Community Development at $143,036, a $2,227 or 1.58 percent increase from $140,809; Grant Administration at $29,522, a $686 or 2.38 percent increase from $28,836; NW Conservation District at $1,040, which remained flat; Parks & Recreation at $2,669,754, a $123,197 or 4.84 percent increase from $2,546,557; Newtown Parade Committee at $1,600, a $200 or 14.25 percent increase from $1,400; Contingency at $115,000, which remained flat; and Debt Service at $9,799,232, a $188,000 or 1.96 percent increase from $9611,232.

Also, Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers at $209,688, a $12,803 or 6.5 percent increase from $196,885; and Reserve for Capital & Non-Recurring at $600,680, which was $1,699,320 less than last year’s transfer of $2,300,000.

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