Selectmen’s Deliberations Continue—

Mangiafico: New Age Of

Budget Scrutiny Is Here To Stay

By John Voket

Acknowledging that global economic forces are much to blame for the “intense scrutiny” being applied locally during the first round of public budget deliberations, Republican Selectman Paul Mangiafico nonetheless hopes this new level of financial vetting is here to stay.

As the last round of deliberations broke up around 1 am Wednesday morning, the Board of Selectmen had so far succeeded in trimming nearly $900,000 from department requests.

The board is planning to complete the process during its regular meeting February 2, although First Selectman Joe Borst said an additional Wednesday session is possible.

At least once during each evening’s apparently painstaking work, town department heads and officials in attendance were reminded the selectmen are committed to delivering a zero-tax-increase budget to voters this spring.

Mr Mangiafico said with diminishing revenues from fees, assessments, and state sources, the selectmen were doubly challenged, pushing for most departments to bring forward budgets at five percent below the current year’s spending. At the same time, he said new practices and tools being employed this year should become commonplace in future budget years to help achieve consistently greater taxpayer savings.

On opening night January 20, deliberations provided almost $145,000 in savings. A second round of cuts came the following night when the selectmen focused on two of Newtown’s top budgeted departments: Highway, which incorporates Public Works, and Parks and Recreation.

Addressing personnel expenses, the selectmen chose to cut an unfilled truck driver position requested at $49,629, along with $40,000 earmarked for a drill press. An additional $35,000 was removed in the line for contract compensation for removal of winter debris from catch basins and streets.

During the previous night’s selectmen meeting, Public Works Director Fred Hurley explained that the increased use of treated salt, along with state and federal environmental mandates, has forced a significant reduction in sand usage for winter road treatments.

While sand is still used in certain locations in town, and in specific winter circumstances, the reduction in its use is expected to translate into less road and catch basin cleanup come springtime. In addition, town crews are taking more responsibility in handling the sand cleanup, further minimizing the use of contractors.

Another $100,000 in capital expenses was removed when it was discovered that $70,000 allocated for a multipurpose sunroom project at the town Senior Center was already applied in the current 2008 budget. The balance of $30,000 was intended for window and door replacement at the town garage.

On the Parks and Recreation side, one unfilled maintenance position was cut, saving $42,034, along with $15,000 from the account for lifeguards at Eichler’s Cove. An additional $10,000 was found in the utilities line, $3,000 was removed from contractual services, and $14,000 earmarked for shop equipment was cut.

The net result from the selectmen’s second round of townside budget cuts amounted to $278,363.

On January 22, selectmen turned to the Commission on Aging, the Fairfield Hills Authority, the Police Department, canine control, and the Emergency Communications Division. Among commission cuts was the elimination of an unfilled part-time Senior Center receptionist, saving $22,925.

The Fairfield Hills Authority followed with a flat $40,000 cut and a directive to Chairman Robert Geckle to report back February 2 on the authority’s actions to achieve the reduction.

The communications office faced a reduction of $105,000 for a dispatch console, but a commitment was made to transfer that request to the Capital Improvement Plan for bonding, according to Finance Director Robert Tait. Similarly, a $40,000 cut to emergency communications will be made up by an anticipated grant, which was previously announced.

The police faced a $26,000 cut for a part-time accreditation manager; $3,500 for various books, courses, and training supplies; $4,590 that was the expected difference between the pay grade for recent recruits versus the veteran officers who left the department; and a $56,000 capital request.

Canine control saw a $12,714 reduction in its part-time wages line, which reflected the prior year’s total usage of the staff members.

This week’s single deliberation session yielded $143,211 in cuts coming from the Building Department, emergency management, the library, and several human services organizations that receive taxpayer funding.

The elimination of a building inspector position in light of reduced permitting activity underscored Mr Mangiafico’s point about diminishing revenue. The $50,000 budgeted for salary comes in addition to anticipated savings in benefit costs, which is reflected elsewhere in the overall budget.

The Booth Library received a $30,293 cut, while Health District Director Donna Culbert came to the board prepared with a self-imposed two percent reduction over the current budget totaling $23,698.

Besides foregoing her own scheduled pay increase, Ms Culbert cut the planned expense for an additional new health district vehicle.

Services Agencies Cut

Newtown Youth & Family Services took a five percent reduction in its annual request, as well as agreeing to increase staff members’ contributions to their individual health plans from 29 to 34 percent. The mental health agency WeCAHR was reduced $1,500; the Volunteer Center of Greater Danbury was cut $500; the Newtown Parent Connection’s request for a $10,000 increase was cut by 50 percent; and Kevin’s Community Center received a 10 percent reduction over 2008 totaling $5,000.

Representatives from the local free community health clinic were conspicuously absent from this year’s budget process, according to Mr Tait. He said the clinic failed to provide an updated 2009 budget request to selectmen, and did not send a representative to the meeting to answer questions about its budget.

Significant discussion ensued when Technology Director Scott Sharlow appeared before selectmen advocating for substantial increases for his staff. Mr Sharlow pointed out that 2009 represents the first full year where he was able to budget his department independently.

Up until 2008, the IT department was under the school district’s control with its services being outsourced to the town. But beginning this year, the department migrated to the town side of the budget.

With that move, according to Mr Sharlow, staff members added substantial new responsibilities justifying what amounted to an 11 percent increase.

Both Mr Mangiafico and Selectman Herb Rosenthal pointed out that such increases should be negotiated as part of an internal review process conducted by the first selectman and Human Resources department, not suddenly presented in the arena of budget deliberations.

By removing the proposed wage adjustments, the selectmen achieved an additional $8,720 in savings. Following the meeting, the first selectmen echoed sentiments Mr Sharlow expressed to the board January 27, that the town cannot afford to lose its IT staff because of a disproportionate wage situation.

“We will do evaluations first, and go through the normal procedures [to provide for increases],” Mr Borst said, adding that any negotiated increases will come from an existing salary adjustment account that is already funded.

Mr Borst also pointed to substantial revenues Mr Sharlow’s department produced for the town in just its first year of independent operation, and referenced plans to aggressively pursue further technological upgrades to achieve even greater savings and revenue generating opportunities.

At the conclusion of the January 27 meeting, and with at least one more session to go, selectmen had succeeded in cutting a total of $876,824 from various department proposals.

Finance Director Robert Tait said once the selectmen ratify the municipal side of the budget, and pass it to the Board of Finance for review, he plans to post the entire package of revisions on the town website at newtown-ct.gov.