Date: Fri 26-Mar-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

budget-hearing-education

Full Text:

Hearings Set On Town Budget Plan

BY STEVE BIGHAM

After more than a million dollars worth of cuts, Newtown's proposed operating

budget for 1999-2000 now stands at $62,048,696. The resulting tax rate would

increase one mill over the current budget under the new spending plan.

Legislative Council members believe a one mill increase can be sold to the

voters, but what about the school supporters? Will they support a Board of

Education budget that had its proposed $3.3 million increase in spending

reduced by nearly $800,000? The answer will come at the referendum in May, but

council members will be on hand to hear public comments at two hearings next

week. The first hearing is set for Tuesday, at 7:30 pm, at the middle school

auditorium. A continuation of the hearing will take place on Saturday, April

3, at 10 pm, at the same location.

"If there is anything I've learned over the years it's that you can never tell

what kind of reaction you're going to get for a proposed budget," said council

chairman Pierre Rochman. "Some budgets I didn't expect hardly anyone to show

up and we ended up getting a very large turnout and vice versa, so you don't

know."

Mr Rochman said his board has tried to be fair in giving the school board as

much of its request as the town could afford. Last week, the council restored

$173,000 to the proposed school budget after tax assessor Denise Hames

discovered an additional $272,000 in revenue. The money had not been apparent

previously due to a "computer glitch."

So will the school supporters be out in force to oppose the budget reduction?

"My inclination is they're not gathering the troops, but you never know," Mr

Rochman said. "The Board of Education knows it is coming in for a 5/6 school

pretty soon, so it may not be as inclined to battle."

One thing is for sure, the various PTA groups take their cue from the Board of

Education, which in turn takes its cue from Superintendent to Schools John R.

Reed. On Wednesday, Dr Reed was slated to meet with the Board of Education to

discuss what this budget reduction will mean.

The Board of Education's proposed $34.7 million budget still represents an 8.4

percent increase despite the council reduction. The school board's request

makes up 56 percent of the overall town budget.

"I don't see how this can't affect personnel when it's such a large cut," said

school board member Elaine McClure.

School board chairman Amy Dent said her report to the council earlier this

month made it clear that a cut of $800,000 will affect the quality of the

curriculum to students.

"I can't see how we can deal with a cut of this magnitude without some staff

cuts," Mrs Dent said.

As of Wednesday, Mrs Dent, who was out of town last week, said her board had

not formally solicited parents to turn out for the hearing.

Council member Ed Lucas was pleased with the council's decision to add money

back into the school board budget. However, he hopes the board will re-open

the discussion.

"I would like to see a few more dollars in there. I'd like to put in $250,000.

An extra 200 students are projected for next year," he said.

Library supporters are also expected to be on hand at next week's hearings.

The council recently reduced the library's proposed budget by $20,000.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal called the selectmen's $19.85 million budget a

"responsible" budget. It makes up 32 percent of the overall package.

"I think we put forth the services that I think the public wants. It's a small

increase overall," he said. "There is a significant increase in the highway

department's budget do more road improvements."

The remaining 12 percent of the budget -- $7.45 million -- is money used to

pay off town debt.