Politics & Government

East Windsor Residents Weigh in on Proposed 2013-14 Budget

Most of the 21 people who spoke implored the Board of Finance to pass the budget along to voters uncut.

There was a familiar refrain from the 21 residents who spoke at the Board of Finance’s public hearing on the budget Wednesday evening in the East Windsor High School cafeteria.

Seventeen of the speakers - nearly all of whom have children in the school system - implored the finance board to send to voters the proposed $35.7 million budget for 2013-14 that calls for a 4.54 percent spending increase over current levels.

“We need to be able to compete with other towns,” said Bill Schultz as he spoke in favor of the budget. “We’re not keeping up with the world. … We need to do what we need to do.”

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Ken Goldstein, an East Windsor resident and parent, agreed.

“We need to take education quite seriously,” he said.

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Three residents - two of whom said they are living on fixed incomes or savings - said that the town’s voters would not pass a budget that called for anything more than a 2 percent spending increase.

Under the town charter, if a budget fails to pass after three referendums, a budget that contains a 2 percent spending increase is automatically adopted.

East Windsor resident Jack Mannette told the finance board that the town could save a lot of time and at least $8,000 in polling expenses if the board cut the budget down to 2 percent.

One resident, Maria DeSousa, said that it was unrealistic to think that the current budget proposal would pass at referendum. Still, she said that the town would be doing itself “a disservice” if a budget with just a 2 percent spending increase were adopted.

“If we don’t start doing things, then we are going to start losing people,” DeSousa said. “We’ve got to do what is best for East Windsor.”

As it stands, the finance board will mull a budget that includes $21.15 million for education, which represents a $981,100 increase - or 4.86 percent - over 2012-13, and $14.55 million for general government operations, which represents a $824,422 spending increase over this year.

The main drivers in the school district increase are magnet school tuition, with 17 East Windsor students attending magnet schools in 2013, as well as rising special education costs and contractual increases in salaries.

To accommodate the increases, the school district is calling for the reduction of four positions: a library media specialist and a foods teacher at the high school, an East Windsor Middle School guidance counselor and a Broad Brook third-grade teacher.

Much of the increase in government operations, some $539,000, is in the capital improvements program, which would go from $471,000 to $1.01 million, representing a 114 percent hike.

The budget also contains funding for two part-time firefighters, according to First Selectman Denise Menard. Volunteers, she said, are no longer prevalent in town.

Joe Pellegrini, speaking at the public hearing as a resident and not a member of the finance board, said that while he is not in favor of spending money, he does favor a return on his investment.

He said that for far too long, East Windsor has not been investing in its schools and infrastructure, which will cost the town in the long run if and when families like his decide to leave.

“I have a choice,” Pellegrini said. “I can move somewhere else.”

Regardless of where people stand on the budget, however, Pellegrini urged people to make informed choices before they vote. Specifically, he said that in years past, misinformation has been spread concerning the budget.

This year, for example, with revaluation, the mill rate will increase somewhat dramatically. But because people’s property values decreased with the revaluation, the resulting tax increase will be significantly less, if there is a tax increase at all on certain properties.

“If you feel strongly enough [about the budget], get out and talk to your neighbors,” he said. “Whether you vote ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ please do so in an educated manner.”

The next step in the budget process calls for the finance board to host several workshops, the first of which will be held on Monday at 7 p.m. in the high school cafeteria.

After the workshops, another public hearing will be held.


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