Llodra, Rodgers Outline Plans Spending Limits

By John Voket

Ahead of the local election, which takes place Tuesday, November 8, First Selectman Pat Llodra and her Republican running mate Selectman Will Rodgers released a report on how they expect to handle future finance and taxation if they are successful in their efforts to be reelected.

“Our goal for 2012 is for a town-side budget proposal with no increase in spending over the current year,” the GOP incumbents stated. “Our current budget is three percent less than when we took over in 2009. It is essentially the same as the fiscal 2008 budget.”

The selectmen say that this reduced level of spending has been difficult to achieve and only came about through the cooperation and support of the Board of Finance and Legislative Council.

“In essence we are doing in government what all of us are doing around our kitchen tables as we search for the best way to manage resources in a difficult economy,” Mrs Llodra and Mr Rodgers wrote. “In our efforts to right-size Town departments, costs, and services, staff positions have been eliminated in the tax office, in land use, in the building department, and in civilian and sworn positions in the police department.”

In addition, the town eliminated summer help, and delayed filling positions in public works, reduced the subsidy for the Edmond Town Hall, the Children’s Adventure Center, and the library and down-sized charitable giving.

“We closed the transfer station on Mondays and reduced pool hours at Treadwell Park. At the same time, we implemented new approaches for funding our employee medical health plan saving the town more than $1 million, and saved another $2 million in employee and commodity contracts and bond refunding,” the officials stated.

Mrs Llodra and Mr Rodgers pledge to continue working with town departments, boards, and commissions to seek savings, while working to find that right balance between costs and services.

“A zero-percent increase in the town budget will be difficult to achieve,” the officials admitted.

“A spending plan is more than just dollars and cents; it reflects what level of services and programs we believe are important for the community,” they wrote. “We welcome input from other levels of government and the public about choices and opportunities to help us reach the goal of no increase.”

The two GOP officials closed saying their expected financial plan for 2012 will contain costs and improve Newtown’s fiscal health by reducing debt, increasing the fund balance, and using capital nonrecurring accounts to save for future expenses.

Mrs Llodra and Mr Rodgers also said they would strive to increase revenue by growing Newtown’s Grand List in the commercial/industrial sector, thus helping to mitigate the taxation burden felt by individual homeowners.