This report was updated April 24 clarifying language about 2016 budget ballot advisory questions.

Five of Newtown's top officials who played key roles in developing and moving a 2016-17 budget request to referendum Tuesday, April 26, sat with The Newtown Bee to tape brief video budget messages, which can be viewed on the newspaper's YouTube channel, or by linking to them through newtownbee.com.

First Selectman Pat Llodra, Board of Education Chairman Keith Alexander, Legislative Council Chair Mary Ann Jacob, Board of Finance Chairman James Gaston, Sr, and School Superintendent Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, each delivered short messages to residents and taxpayers either advocating for passage or at least encouraging all qualified residents to respond to the polls to vote.

Budget polls will be open at Newtown Middle School Tuesday from 6 am to 8:30 pm. Qualified residents will be asked to vote separately on the school district budget request, and one funding municipal operations and all debt service including borrowing for school capital projects.

The Legislative Council is proposing a $114,182,379 budget request for consideration that would increase overall spending by 1.62 percent and, if approved, would result in a 33.6 mill tax rate. A mill represents one dollar for every $1,000 in taxable property.

Qualified voters will be asked to accept or reject a school district spending request totaling $73,665,065, and a request for $40,517,314 to cover all town services and borrowing expenses.

Voters on April 26 will have the opportunity to endorse each request separately, along with responding to advisory questions asking voters whether they rejected one or both budget proposals because they were "too low."

While defending the requests, several officials also highlighted the extended budget processes ahead of the final recommendation, during which new savings and revenues that developed in process were weighed against a series of further reductions after original requests were issued by the school board and municipal officials.

Mrs Llodra said officials are cognizant of the pressures residents feel and know that they need to find the way forward preserving our core values of good education, safety, recreation, improved infrastructure - while balancing those attributes against their costs in taxes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCn8uTXE0NQ

Mr Gaston said Newtown's Board of Finance put forward a budget with more than $500,000 in reductions, which he believes will maintain operations and services, and will continue to move our town and school district forward and upward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd8E3EL2pvY

Mr Alexander explained that each year his board receives the superintendent's budget request built from the ground up looking at what the district needs to provide services and enhance programming for students.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jfDjDYkRZk

Ms Jacob noted that the level of scrutiny this year's budget requests received, the detailed questions that were asked, and the reductions made to original requests before it even reached the council were all part of an important, charter-mandated process to ensure the voters of Newtown receive the best possible budget to consider.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQjC5VBTdi8

Dr Erardi praised the work, scrutiny, and refinement of both budget requests through the respective school and finance boards along with the council as "examples of what good government should represent." The superintendent observed certain officials wanted the original budget requests sustained, while others felt there were areas where reductions could be made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KPTRBRhQPE