Sources Of Budget Information

To the Editor:

I was very disappointed to read the comments of Mr Kortze , the chairman of the Board of Finance, which I have copied below from The Newtown Bee [“Public Hearing Set On Town, School Budget” 2/17/12].

Mr Kortze said: “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.” According to Mr Kortze, “It can be incomplete or the information can reflect the provider’s 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.”

Mr Kortze continued: “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.”

I strongly disagree with Mr Kortze’s attempt to limit the source of information to the taxpayers of Newtown. The municipal budget document is over 300 pages long. This year the budget includes the shifting of expenses from the Board of Selectmen’s budget line to individual departments, making year-to-year comparisons more difficult. The details of the municipal budget reveals that department or line item spending increases have been offset by nearly $800,000 in savings from refinancing debt, which would seem fine, only the Board of Finance and the Legislative Council have previously established a clear precedent of taking those kinds of “commodity savings” off the table when the savings are produced by the school budget. The same standard should apply the municipal budget. Previous budgets have moved normal budget expenses to long-term capital, further confusing the actual increase in municipal spending.

Citizens’ comments and analysis are an important part of our democracy and budget process. These public forums have often been the way taxpayers have come to understand the proposed budget. Mr Kortze’s attempt to disparage others’ analysis and interpretation is disingenuous. Statistics and data should be analyzed and interpreted so voters can make their own minds up as to whether the budget is appropriate. I do encourage taxpayers to attend the meetings and seek out accurate information, but I don’t believe other taxpayers comments and analysis should be summarily dismissed, nor are taxpayers’ opinions accurately defined as unqualified sources.

Mr Kortze’s comments show a lack of respect for the taxpayers of Newtown. M. Kortze’s so-called authorized sources of legitimate information are, after all, the same people who spent $3.5 million of unauthorized spending on a parking lot at Fairfield Hills, causing the Legislative Council to pass an ordinance to make sure that never happens again.

I strongly suggest taxpayers seek information from all sources and then make their own minds up.

Bruce Walczak

12 Glover Avenue, Newtown                                      February 22, 2012