Finance Board Plans To Extend, Broadcast Budget Sessions

By John Voket

The Newtown Board of Finance is anticipating one of the most intense budget deliberations ever. Signaling that Newtown is not immune to recent local, state, and global economic crises, finance board Chair John Kortze said the 2009 series of deliberations, which will likely be preceded by a public hearing, will be historic in several respects.

He told the board during its February 9 meeting about plans to apply some of the greatest scrutiny to the town and school district spending proposals, while hopefully providing the greatest access and transparency ever to the process.

The finance board plans to address the latter point by capturing and broadcasting the proceedings online using a video portal being launched through The Newtown Bee’s website, as well as to Newtown Charter cable television subscribers via the company’s public access channel.

Since the broadcasts will be captured by Newtown High School’s Technology Club, with students who will be undergoing CAPT testing during most of the time reserved for finance board deliberations, Mr Kortze explained that the number of meetings will be extended while the length of each meeting will likely be shortened.

The deliberations may also convene earlier that the 7:30 start time of regular finance board meetings, and will be advertised in advance through notices on Newtown’s municipal website, at the town clerk’s office, and in The Bee.

The kickoff to finance deliberations is a planned February 26 public hearing, with other meeting dates to follow between March 2 and March 9. Ultimately, the finance board is bound to recommend a final town and school budget to the Legislative Council in time for its planned public hearing March 18.

On Friday, February 6, Republican Selectman Paul Mangiafico said the Board of Selectmen completed its budget deliberations and recommended a townside budget of $38,000,069, which represents a $1.43 million or 3.63 percent decrease from the current year’s municipal operating budget.

On Tuesday, February 10, the Board of Education voted to recommend a budget proposal totaling nearly $67.2 million, representing a 1.74 percent increase over the current operating budget.

Town Finance Director Robert Tait said the latest revised townside budget document is scheduled to be posted for public review at www.newtown-ct.gov. Click on the link on the Finance Department’s web page, or follow the direct document link posted at Newtownbee.com.