Date: Fri 03-Sep-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Legislative-council-budget

Full Text:

Council Makes Two Mid-Year Budget Additions

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The Legislative Council set a precedent Wednesday night when its members voted

to add money to a budget which had already been approved by the taxpayers.

The Council added just over $98,000 to the Board of Education budget and

another $20,000 to the library budget. Both fund transfers were made possible

by the receipt of $300,000 more in state aid than had been anticipated when

the town budget was approved this past spring. State budgets are approved

after Newtown passes its own budget.

The school board, which had its original budget proposal cut by $800,000,

requested the additional money for its over-stressed self-funded medical

insurance fund. The library's extra money will go toward new books.

While the council approved the two requests, neither came without a lengthy

discussion. While adding money to the budget is permitted under the charter,

some officials, including First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, wondered if it was a

good idea.

"I feel it's a bad practice to add money in mid-stream. That's how surpluses

are built up," said the first selectman, who was unaware of the library's

intent to go before the council. "If the library had gone to the Board of

Selectmen first, I would not have approved it."

Karen Blawie was one of only two council members to vote against adding money

to the school board. "It sets a bad precedent," she said. "What if six months

after the budget is approved, we find we're getting more money? Are we going

to pave more roads or hire another police officer? We're changing our budget,

and I think it's unfair to the taxpayers of this town.

Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed seemed surprised that the issue had

become controversial. His board only requested the money after reading

comments made by Mr Rochman in a June article in The Bee. In that story, Mr

Rochman said, in retrospect, the council would have probably given the schools

and library more money. Furthermore, Dr Reed pointed out, the $98,000 was

earmarked for schools when it arrived here from Hartford.

In an effort to keep the tax rate at a reasonable level, the Legislative

Council was forced to make significant cuts to the Board of Education and

library budgets earlier this spring.

Board members voted 10-2 in favor of adding money to the school, and 6-3 for

the library. The library vote included three abstentions.