Education takes early cut in Groton budget debate

Town Council to hold rare Saturday meeting to continue talks

Groton — The Town Council will continue deliberating today over the proposed $128.6 million budget for the coming fiscal year, and this week made its biggest cut to education.

Councilors cut $1.85 million from the requested $78.3 million for education, bringing the total down to about $76.5 million, the minimum budget requirement.

The town has struggled with revenue losses in recent years, and the proposed budget would require an increase in the tax rate from 23.63 mills to 24.87 mills, a 5.3 percent hike. For each $100,000 in assessed property value, taxpayers would pay an additional $124 in taxes.

Superintendent Michael Graner said councilors and the mayor approached him and the Board of Education earlier and he knew the cut was coming.

“Having us come in a zero (in-

crease) gives the town a fighting chance to keep the tax burden as reasonable as possible, even though it will go up,” Graner said.

Councilor Joe Zeppieri said the spiraling rise in taxes has to get under control.

“Somehow or another, we have to get a grip on it,” Zeppieri said. “At the same time, we need to continue to provide the services that people in Groton are looking to and need. So it’s sort of a dilemma because it’s difficult to do both.”

To absorb the education cut and protect school programs, Graner has proposed taking $1 million from the school department’s health insurance reserve fund, which is used to handle unforeseen medical expenses. Graner also recommended using $300,000 the school board planned to set aside for future post-employment benefits, and spending $500,000 it received in impact aid from the Department of Defense to educate military children.

Although the school department receives multiple grants, board members are reluctant to dip into the Department of Defense impact aid grant account, as it’s one of the only rainy-day funds the board has. Unlike other grants, which reach the Board of Education after going through the town, impact aid from the Department of Defense goes directly to the school board.

The Representative Town Meeting’s Education Committee will review the education budget at 6 p.m. Monday in the Groton Senior Center.

Town councilors will discuss the budgets for public safety, Groton City, ambulance service and other departments at 9 a.m. Saturday in the Town Hall Annex.

Zeppieri sees opportunity for savings in the budget for Groton City and elsewhere. The Town of Groton has nine fire districts with their own budgets, for example, he said. “That, in and of itself, is a recipe for inefficiency,” he said.