February 23—

Public Hearing Set

On Town, School Budget

By John Voket

The only public hearing on the 2012-2013 budget proposal to be hosted by the Board of Finance is set for 7:30 pm Thursday, February 23, in the Newtown Municipal Center council chambers.

“We really do want to hear what people have to say,” said Board of Finance Chairman John Kortze.

The Board of Education reviewed and approved its 2012-13 budget January 31 with a 3.07 percent increase over the last year’s spending package. The $70,055,794 budget request was passed unanimously.

The Board of Selectmen approved a 2012-13 municipal budget request of $38,278,353 on January 23. That budget proposal represents a 0.95 percent increase over the current year, not including debt service.

The overall requested increase of 1.85 percent includes all anticipated borrowing costs — primarily covering school district capital projects. All debt service for town and school projects is carried on the selectmen’s side of the budget.

As passed by the Board of Education, the 2012-13 spending plan includes implementing full-day kindergarten, costs associated with staff and program development, a guidance counselor position at Newtown Middle School, and adding wireless Internet access to the A-Wing at Newtown High School.

While members of the school board said they have items they would like added to the budget if savings from moving budget items can be found during the budget process, they also did not want to see a higher budget increase.

Board of Education Vice Chair Laura Roche said one of her priorities, if the board could find room through further savings, would be implementing two reading staff positions at Reed Intermediate School and adding a physical education instructor at Reed that was cut from a previous budget.

Some of the expenses in the superintendent’s proposed spending plan that did not make it into the school board’s recommended budget include a district level math/science specialist and a math teacher at the high school.

Two cuts in the superintendent’s proposed budget — the school district’s director of health and the school district’s director of music — were not removed from the approved 2012-13 budget request.

 

Kudos To Officials

Regarding the townside proposal, Selectman Will Rodgers complimented First Selectman Pat Llodra Llodra and Finance Director Robert Tait.

Mr Rodgers noted that the two officials spent many hours working along with department heads to bring taxpayers a same-services budget request, while keeping the bottom line in check despite the contractual obligations of union-negotiated wage increases.

Mrs Llodra also pointed out the few areas where she believes the taxpayer side of public-private investments will pay dividends over time, citing the soon-to-open municipal animal shelter and a planned dog park among these community improvements.

The first selectman also noted that she was committed to the town’s recently initiated plan to fund the replacement of three police vehicles each year. She noted the request for a fourth vehicle at $33,000 was removed, restoring the police vehicle request to $90,000 — the level of funding that was established in 2011.

Following the town budget endorsement by the selectmen, Mr Kortze said the bottom line was reasonable, and he understood that “the selectmen were doing the best they could with what they had, taking the taxpayer into consideration” at every step of the process.

Selectman and former finance board vice chairman James Gaston, Sr, told The Bee that the finance board deliberations typically do not provide advocacy for either the school district’s or the town’s requests.

“Instead, it entails a due diligence inquiry, and an evaluation at the 10,000-foot level in order to balance the needs with the financial means between town and education,” Mr Gaston observed. “The best analogy I can think of is: the Board of Selectmen are the pilots of the town aircraft; the Board of Finance are the air traffic control, working to keep the town plane, and other planes up in the air, flying as safely, efficiently, and effectively as possible, routing through the most essential avenues possible.”

 

Facts Versus Opinion

Mr Kortze said that while the February 23 public hearing should not become a dialog between his board and citizens, he is always willing to address certain points that might be made, if for nothing else than to steer audience members to appropriate sources for taxpayers to review qualified data.

By the same token, he is encouraging residents to come to the hearing with statements or questions prompted by their review of the comprehensive trove of data including video and audio transcripts, budget documents, and reports available either through The Newtown Bee’s website newtownbee.com, or on the municipal website www.newtown-ct.gov.

“There are usually efforts by individual citizens to help taxpayers by providing summaries of what happened at meetings, but residents should not rely on data or information being provided by outside or unqualified sources,” Mr Kortze said. “It can be incomplete or the information can reflect the providers opinion versus fact. I also encourage residents with concerns or questions they might want to qualify ahead of time, or those who do not want to speak at the hearing, to e-mail or call us.

“The purpose of the hearing is to receive input from the public,” the finance board chairman said, “and it’s the best venue to accomplish that short of contacting us directly, or getting the legitimate information from authorized sources.”

Following the public hearing, the finance board will begin examining the townside budget, Mr Kortze said. On Wednesday, February 29, the finance board will review the education budget request.

On Thursday, March 1, the municipal budget review will continue, followed by more education budget deliberation on Monday, March 5. The final finance board budget meeting is set for Wednesday, March 14.