The Windsor Locks Board of Finance Approves Proposed $43.08 million 2011-12 Budget

The Windsor Locks Board of Finance on Wednesday approved a $43,084,033 budget proposal for 2011-12.

The spending plan represents a $162,000, or 0.38 percent, increase over the current budget, Town Finance Director Barbara Bertrand said. If approved by residents, the budget would increase the tax rate by .9076 mills to 24.12 mills.

A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held at 7 p.m. April 19, Board of Finance Chairman Con O’Leary said.

Under the proposed budget, the owners of a 1956, 1,048-square-foot ranch home assessed at $124,600 would see their taxes increase by $121 annually, Bertrand said. The owner of 1999, 3,290-square-foot home assessed at $267,000 would see their taxes increase by $259 annually.

The budget is based on the funding level from the state in Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposed budget, O’Leary said. Going with the governor’s budget numbers is what the town traditionally does, he said.

“We’ve been fortunate with that,” O’Leary said.

Board members agreed to approve the proposed budget under the assumption that the town will receive full education cost sharing funding at $4.6 million. The spending plan would also be paid for without using any of the town’s reserve funds.

Board member Douglas Glazier said using those assumptions and hoping that Malloy’s budget passes is somewhat of a gamble.

The budget also contains a $400,000 increase for the board of education. School officials had requested a more than $600,000 increase.

O’Leary said the board of finance had requested that all departments proposed zero increase budgets. With a zero growth budget, the town would still have to raise taxes at .6 mills to make up for reduced state funding, he said.

Board of Education Chairwoman Patricia King said school officials has done everything they can to reduce spending without having to go to reducing staff.
“We respected the 0 percent you requested  but we just didn’t think it was right for the students,” King said.

If the school system is forced to have a no increase budget, Superintendent of Schools Wayne Sweeney said there would have to be a reorganization of the central office causing three positions to be cut, five non-certified staff in the schools and seven teachers, which would affect North Street, South Street and Windsor Locks High schools.

If the school system were to get a $200,000 increase then 3.5 to 4 teacher positions would be cut, four paraprofessionals and one central office staff position, Sweeney said.

“There’s lots of combinations of things we’d be looking at,” Sweeney said.

To achieve a $600,000 increase request, school officials found savings through freezing the salaries of non-union employees, administrators including Sweeney will have four furloughed days, and a renegotiated agreement with the school bus company.

Sweeney said the unions have declined to have a salary freeze in the 2011-12 budget, because in the current budget they agreed to no pay increases.

Under the board of finance's proposed $400,000 increase, Sweeney said he will do his best to make sure there are no staff cuts.

Glazier said he supported granting the board of education’s request because the town has continually asked the schools to reduce their budgets. With the reductions, the school system keeps shrinking its staff and resources, and if that continues eventually it will violate state statutes, he said.

Board member Jeffrey Krug, who voted against the additional $400,000, said the town government side had come in with a zero increase proposal and that there are services that are being reduced. He said while Wednesday’s meeting was attended by mostly supporters of the school system, there are other residents who deem fixed roads, parks and other town roads important.
 
“I think we are making an unequal playing field,” Krug said.

Vanise Shea, a Sherwood Lane resident, said lost education is something that she can not get back for her children.

“I can drive around potholes but I can’t drive around my kids,” Shea said.

Douglas Hamilton, a former board of education member, suggested that the town try delaying approving the budget until June after the state budget is approved. Hamilton said the board of finance would have firm numbers.

Assuming that the town will receive full ECS funding is a bad approach, because officials are looking at the best case scenario. In a crisis moment, the board needs to look at taking a different approach, Hamilton said.

The board could alter the proposed budget after the public hearing based on citizen input, O'Leary said. The town meeting on the budget is May 17.