Mar 25, 2008
Financiers review Board of Selectmen's budget request
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While there were questions to clarify some of the town’s budget requests on Wednesday, March 12, by the Board of Finance, the financiers voiced little opposition to the increase the town has proposed.
The Board of Finance is looking over both the school and town budgets in preparation for public hearings on the two budgets on March 31 and April 1 respectively.
The Board of Selectmen, after two months of reviewing the town’s budget, approved a budget of $28,738,092, an increase of 4.7% over this year’s budget of $27,454,940. The Board of Education approved a budget of $68,658,145, a 6.3% increase over this year’s budget of $64.6 million.
The heads of the town’s various departments were on hand to talk with the Board of Finance about questions they might have. After the review of the budget with the Board of Selectmen, financier Jim Meinhold asked if anyone had anything they wished would be put back into the budget that the Board of Selectmen had taken out. His question was met with silence.
“So everybody is happy. OK,” said Mr. Meinhold.
First Selectman William Brennan said two-thirds of the budget is “people and benefits” and said that fuel costs were also driving the budget increases.
Though every effort has been made to keep head count flat, “where we have found a need, we’ve responded to it,” said Mr. Brennan, indicating the Social Services Department, which is authorized by the current town budget to have a part-time worker.
One of the concerns of the Board of Finance was the increased subsidy for the transfer station, which is going from $155,000 this year to $300,000 next year.
Mr. Brennan said that was because the fees from the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority, with which the town currently has a contract to deal with its solid waste, had increased with the expectation that the contract would be terminating this year. With the expected termination, the authority is trying to recoup some of its recent losses, he said. The contract expires Dec. 31.
“My only guess is we’ll have a new contract with somebody else,” said Mr. Brennan. He said the last six months of the contract were factored into the budget, with some estimate of what the new contract would be for the following six months.
Mr. Meinhold asked about the library’s budget request, which was trimmed by $50,000 by the Board of Selectmen.
“Was there a specific basis that equated to 50?” asked Mr. Meinhold. Mr. Brennan said by cutting it that much, the town’s support of the library came closer to 75%.
“What would it take to get to 75%?” said Mr. Alper. Mr. Brennan said he didn’t know and would have to get back to the board.
Mr. Meinhold also asked why some of the line items were being budgeted for again when the year-to-date actuals for this year did not show the money being spent yet.
“There’s a seasonality to some of these items,” said Joseph Dolan, chief financial officer for the town. As an example, he said public notices would be going out more frequently in the near future for budget hearings and the annual town meeting.
“What might help is if we saw 2005, 2006 actuals as well,” said financier Al Alper.
“We really go over that. We try to really supervise that,” said Mr. Brennan of the year-to-dates versus the proposed numbers.
One way Mr. Alper said the town might save some money is by bidding out the position of town counsel and giving preference to Wilton citizens.
“I don’t think it’d be wise to go and bid that out like painting a building,” said Mr. Brennan, adding that experience in the position was a plus. G. Kenneth Bernhard has served as Wilton’s town counsel for 16 years.
Mr. Alper said that with Mr. Bernhard representing other towns nearby, there might be potential conflicts of interest when representing Wilton and those towns.
Mr. Dolan said that in the past, when residents have been used as town counsel, there were many conflicts of interest.
The fire department’s budget request as it pertained to overtime was questioned by Mr. Meinhold.
Chief Paul Milositz said the overtime pay was used to keep the fire department staffed by six firefighters at all times.
“That’s the absolute bare minimum” you should have, said Chief Milositz.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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