Council Passes Budget By Two-Vote Margin

By John Voket

Legislative Councilman David Brown had two opportunities Wednesday evening to assert his impassioned support, asking fellow council members to pass the 2007-2008 municipal budget proposal on to voters as presented by the Board of Finance. In both the Finance Subcommittee gathering at 6 pm and in front of the full council and a packed meeting room about two hours later, Mr Brown recognized the bottom line increase was uncharacteristically high but seemingly justified.

“It’s our job to lead, not reflect what is out there,” Mr Brown told his fellow subcommittee members. “If we believe this is the budget that meets the town’s needs we should support it.”

Apparently, his sentiments helped inspire the endorsement of six fellow council members who carried the motion to pass the budget proposal on to voters as submitted. That 7-5 vote delivers the spending package to qualified taxpayers for consideration at an April 24 referendum.

Mr Brown first made the motion to pass the $102 million-plus proposal as submitted before the council’s finance subcommittee, which typically meets before the full council’s final regular budget session. And later, before the full council, he recognized all those who participated in bringing the package forward to its final stages.

“We have educated people putting this [budget] together, and we have more educated people on the Board of Finance refining the numbers down,” Mr Brown said. “This budget this time around is put together with the best interests of all in town.”

Council Vice Chairman Timothy Holian echoed the sentiment saying, “The Board of Finance has done its due diligence. We should respect their recommendation.”

Fellow councilman and finance subcommittee member Michael Iassogna told the full council he had specific concerns about certain line items in both the school and municipal sides of the proposal, which were addressed satisfactorily during the early meeting.

“If we support it, we need to tell people why we support it and why they should support it,” Mr Iassogna said before the subcommittee. He later told the full council that expenditures for elementary school technology upgrades, salaries, and other capital purchases contributed to an overall budget proposal he. “…could feel good about.”

Councilman Francis Pennarola said he did a similar analysis and understood much of the proposed increase was designed to cover debt service, as well as unfunded state and federal mandates. “I don’t think any further cuts are justified,” he said.

Before the full council, Daniel Amaral reiterated his input from the finance subcommittee meeting, saying he wanted to see both sides of the budgets whittled down to a three percent increase.

During discussion, councilman Joseph Borst, who works for the school board as a bus driver, made a motion to increase the spending proposal by $250,000. He then suggested the increase be partially applied to fund additional bus routes, as well as school district fuel purchases.

Citing a new subdivision that received Planning and Zoning approval recently, as well as the loss of parking during planned high school renovations, Mr Borst said there would be justification for added buses.

Councilman Jeff Capeci countered that the high school construction was not scheduled to begin in the next fiscal cycle, therefore no additional buses would be required to compensate in that area. Mr Capeci added that he did not think a subdivision that was just approved would be fully occupied with families requiring school bus service as soon as this September.

Patricia Llodra then reminded her fellow council members that while suggestions could be made about school spending, no town body has line item authority over the Board of Education’s budget.

“The Board of Education is not held to the amount of reductions based on our recommendations,” Ms Llodra said. “I’m not sure if we added $250,000, that they would purchase two buses.”

At that point, councilman Keith Jacobs said it was his wish to restore the entire amount cut by the finance board, but he did not feel that suggestion would receive support.

“I wanted to add the $581,000 back in, but I’m willing to compromise [on the $250,000 motion],” Mr Jacobs said. “No year is a good year to make big increases.”

Finance Subcommittee Chairman Joseph DiCandido expressed exasperation over the suggested amendment, asking Mr Jacobs if he thought the combined increase of 15 percent to the school budget between last year’s budget and this year’s proposal to accommodate a net increase in 30 students or fewer was justified. But Mr Rodgers discouraged further discussion on the issue.

“We have the PTAs supporting the Board of Education, which is coming in with one of the lowest increases ever,” Mr Rodgers said. “[But] we shouldn’t be stupid. I have never heard the proportion of comment against the budget as I’ve heard this year. I believe adding money back in will virtually guarantee failure.”

The vote on Mr Borst’s amendment to add back $250,000 subsequently failed with only councilmen, Jacobs and Borst, voting in favor. A subsequent roll call vote in support of passing the full budget proposal as presented had the pair both voting No, along with Mr Amaral, Mr DiCandido, and Mr Rodgers.

In a related development, during the finance subcommittee meeting, Mr DiCandido called for the school board to consider a study on whether or not an interim year-round school year for the high school might serve as an effective way to address student population concerns. He said the comparative short-term costs of creating and staffing a year-round program might be justified versus the proposed $41 million proposal to expand the current facility, and the likelihood of an eventual new high school being built in excess of $150 million.

Superintendent Evan Pitkoff said a move to a full-year program at the high school would simply defer construction that would end up costing more for the same space several years in the future. Dr Pitkoff added that many school districts that have experimented with year-round programs have returned to the conventional school year.

School board member Andrew Buzzi, Jr, who was also at the subcommittee meeting, said the cost to add staff for such a year-round proposal could top $10 million more per year.

During the full council meeting, and prior to budget discussions, the group unanimously passed a $200,000 increase to the senior tax credit program, which was recommended by the ordinance subcommittee. Mr Pennarola, the ordinance committee chairman, said the increase from the current $750,000 to $950,000 would help the 600 currently eligible taxpayers offset tax increases and hopefully keep them in town.

Later during his report to the council, Mr Rosenthal noted that the tax relief program that was instituted ten years ago had grown exponentially from the first allocation of $29,000.

Mr Rodgers said he was told by the tax collector that members of the senior center were “tearfully thankful,” for any additional relief that might be available. “I have clients coming to me saying they are moving because of the taxes,” Mr Rodgers said, referring to his local legal practice.

Mr Pennarola said the amount of relief available was “not insignificant,” considering the somewhat liberal qualification standards for those who may wish to apply for the town benefit.