Council Hopes To Pare Down Big Tax Hike—

Selectmen Requests Push Proposed Budget Over $70 Million

By Steve Bigham

The Board of Selectmen Monday approved a $30,701,723 budget for 2000-2001. It represents a 12.4 percent increase over the current budget for non-educational town expenditures.

The Legislative Council will begin its discussion of the combined town and school budget next week. It is an overall municipal budget that could soar above $70 million (a $9 million increase).

The increase in the selectmen’s operating budget is just 2.75 percent. The remainder of the increase is due to a proposed debt service budget of $9,360,430. Also, the selectmen added another one million to the budget for the maintenance of Fairfield Hills in case the town purchases the 185-acre campus.

Last year, the selectmen’s overall budget saw a slight decrease due to the retirement of several large debts for various capital projects, including sewers. This year planned spending on debt service has surged again in anticipation of the massive spending package under consideration by the Legislative Council.

On Tuesday, the Board of Education approved a $39.9 million spending plan, which represents a 14.5 percent increase over its current budget.

 As of this week, Newtown was looking at a potential tax rate increase of more than five mills if no further cuts are made and if the governor’s budget remains status quo. It is the kind of increase that has never even been whispered in these parts. Major cuts by the council are expected. The healthy 4.9 percent increase in the grand list will not be enough to offset the massive budget request.

The current tax rate for Newtown is 27.9 mills. Last spring, taxpayers approved a $62.1 million budget.

“We’re looking at an average of about a 15 percent increase between the school and town budgets,” noted Council Chairman Pierre Rochman. “We’ll have to make some choices. Either the operating budget or the capital budget. One or the other is going to have to give.”

The purchase of Fairfield Hills, the need for more municipal space and the proposed construction of a 5/6 school are all entered into the equation this year. Those factors help to make this an extremely unique budget season. However, Mr Rochman says every year is turning into a unique budget year.

“One year it’s the sewers, one year it’s the high school. We can’t keep saying this year is difficult, but next year we’ll be back to normal. Historically, it doesn’t seem to be holding up,” he said.

This year’s exceptional spending challenge is driven by the town’s residential growth and the fact that Newtown is being offered Fairfield Hills. In addition, the town’s long-ignored municipal space needs have now reached a boiling point.

“I think people have to know that we have a lot of needs and people have a lot of desires for our children and for ourselves, but we have to be aware of the impact of these things,” Mr Rosenthal said. Taken on their own, these requests do not create a huge impact. But when all added up, they create what is by far the largest budget request in the town’s history.

“Maybe the public will decide they want to bite the bullet. I don’t envy the council’s job,” Mr Rosenthal said.

The first selectman struggled to come to terms with his own budget, which included $352,000 for a statistical revaluation project, which has been mandated by the state. Other huge operating costs included $550,000 for the development of the Amaral Property on Elm Drive and $150,000 for GIS mapping.

Next week, Mr Rochman will ask the council’s finance committee to recommend a spending level that is acceptable. Then, each council subcommittee will take a closer look at the individual requests to determine if any further cuts can be made.

“The council usually tries to keep the increase to no more than a mill,” Mr Rochman said. “That may be tough to do this time around.”