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Selectmen Set To Start Budget Review

The annual budget season was officially kicked off this week as town office

department heads submitted their proposals for the 1999-2000 fiscal year.

Department budget requests were due at the town's finance department on

Friday.

Next week, the budgets will be handed over the First Selectman Herb Rosenthal

for his review.

"I haven't seen any yet, but I told them I wanted tight budgets," Mr Rosenthal

said. "I'm not looking for any new programs or find money in their budget to

pay for it. We need to hold the line on capital purchases."

Mr Rosenthal said the only area he expects to see a significant increase is

for the Public Works Department as it responds to suggestions for road

improvements made in a study done by an outside firm a year ago.

The Board of Selectmen is expected to begin its budget deliberations January

21 and then meet several times after that.

The Legislative Council will get its first look at the budget in February.