Budget Hearing Minutes

Members Present:                                

• Jim Bulick, Chairman                            
• John Patton, Vice Chair                 
• Robert Wiecenski
• Peter Tanaka                                    
• Barry Wallett
• Annemarie Poole, Alternate

Members Absent:

• Elizabeth Treiber
• Geoff Prusak, Alternate 

Also Present: ~Christina Mailhos, 1st Selectman; Tish Ignatowicz, Treasurer; Dr. Jacqueline Jacoby, Superintendent; Members of various Boards and the Public

Chairman Jim Bulick called the Budget Hearing to order at 7:03 P.M.

Chairman Bulick explained the purpose of the hearing to present the proposed 2017/2018 Board of Education and General Government Budget.  He turned the floor over to 1st Selectman Mailhos to present the General Government’s budget. ~

1st Selectman Mailhos explained the budget.  It includes flat salaries; insurance increase and asphalt being the only part of the budget with an increase.  The central government proposed budget request is for $1,115,364 which is an increase of $11,192 or 1.01%.  Chairman Bulick asked if there were any questions, no questions were asked.

Dr. Jacoby, Interim Superintendent presented the Board of Education request.  The request is for $8,126,510 which is a .88% increase.  Also included is $613,739 which is the Governor’s proposed budget shift of 1/3 the cost of the Teacher’s Retirement Benefit to the Town.  All together the Board of Education budget request is for $8,740,249 or +8.5%.  She explained how they used a zero based budgeting, negotiated where possible, reallocated realized savings and accommodated unfunded mandates to get to their request.  

Chairman Bulick asked for comments from the Board and from the floor.

Dour Roberts, 44 Michalec Road, asked if other town are using the a wait and see approach to their budgets?  Selectman Mailhos said she was at a meeting with 11 other towns.  They asked for a show of hands as to who’s doing what.  A majority are doing the wait and see and doing a supplemental tax.  They all agreed that they want residents to know clearly that this cost is being transferred to them by the State.  They also know that they need to start the process know and know that it will fail and have to go back to the drawing board.  John Patton added that we are considering adding $200,000 from the general fund.

Chairman Bulick said that there are two ways of handling this.  They way we are, funding and playing around with the fund balance or as other town have done not funding it at all.  We’ve discussed it numerous times.  $613,000 is about 1.4 mills, which on a $200,000 house is about $280, which is a big chunk of money.  Discussion continued.

Laurie Semprebon, Turnpike Road, asked if the budget passes and the State decides not to take this, what happens with the money?  Chairman Bulick said we have a very good relation with the Board of Education who we could ask to appropriate it back to us.  He asked Dr. Jacoby if she found out the legal ramifications of this.  She said that once it’s voted upon and appropriated to the Board of Education is becomes their funds.  You can always have a gentleman’s agreement to have the funds returned to the town.

Vice-Chair Patton said that we will wait as long as possible before setting the mil rate to see what the State is going to do.

Herb Arico asked about the declining grand list.  Chairman Bulick said the biggest reason is because of the foundation issue and the Board of Assessment Appeals lowering their taxes.  

Peter Latincsics, Trask Road, said that 2.36 increase in the mil rate seems higher than the last meeting we had.  Tish Ignatowicz, Treasurer, said that’s correct.  After the Board of Assessment Appeals met and made their adjustment, this is the result. He then asked that with the large obligation from the State, why are we having increases and doing everything we can to reduce the burden i.e. freeze discretionary spending, postponing CIP items.  Chairman Bulick said we did put off things in the CIP, we dipped into the reserve fund, raises are held flat, but health insurance raises everything.  Discussion continued.

Laurie Semprebon, Turnpike Road, commented about the importance of living in Town and having activities here.

Peter Latincsics asked about the per pupil cost and if there are any steps in process? Barry Wallett mentioned talking to Mansfield about working with them but the Board of Education did not want to proceed.  Erica Wiecenski, BoE member added that they are not ignoring the situation, they are waiting the study to be done which will advise the Town whether to renovate or expand the schools and looking at shared services.

Herb Arico voiced his concern that the citizens will not be aware that the increase in the BoE budget is from the State and asked how to get the word out.

Chairman Bulick said that the BOE attorney advised against sending out a joint letter promoting the budget one way or the other.  However, he will do his best to explain the situation as factually as he can.  While the BOE proposed a modest budget increasing 0.88% over last year, the bulk of the increase is due to the inclusion of the governor's mandated Teacher Retirement Benefit of $613,739 (Willington's portion, given best estimates at this time).

The Board of Finance will do our best to soften this impact on the taxpayers of Willington when set our mil rate at the end of May.  By this time we expect to have better numbers from the state, and will apply reserve funds to offset some of the increase.

He asked if anyone has any more questions.  Seeing that there were no further questions he called the hearing to a close at 7:50.  

Respectfully submitted,
Debra L. Lewis
BOF Recording Secretary