The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Date set for budget revote
EAST HAMPTON — Two Democratic town councilors waged a losing battle this week to overturn the Board of Finance’s adjustments to the municipal budget.
The board’s Republican majority made several revisions to the budget Monday, after it was narrowly rejected in last week’s referendum. They voted to use the majority of a state-funded windfall to reduce the proposed increase in the tax rate.
The $15.14 million budget was defeated at referendum and confirmed by a mandatory recount, which resulted in a 911 to 906 vote. The $30.5 million education budget passed by a vote of 972 to 847.
They also rejected using short-term borrowing to fund the purchase of portable computers for teachers and students and the purchase of two large vehicles for the highway department by paying for their immediate purchase.
Democrats on the panel had proposed setting aside a portion of $716,415 Education Cost Sharing grant approved by the General Assembly May 9 to begin funding a tax rate stabilization fund.
However, the Democratic proposal was rejected by the finance board’s Republican majority.
Tuesday evening, councilors James “Pete” Brown and Kevin Reich took up the fight. They argued — and their Republican colleagues generally agreed, as had the finance board’s majority — that, rather than face the state’s continuing deficit head on, the General Assembly awarded
“This $700,000 and change in my view is a gift so people can get elected in the fall. And I don’t believe in the next three or four years we’re going to be getting another gift.”
Kevin Reich, Councilor
the cities and towns ECS grants as part of an effort to ensure sitting legislators in Hartford are re-elected in November.
“This $700,000 and change in my view is a gift so people can get elected in the fall,” Councilor Kevin Reich said. “And I don’t believe in the next three or four years we’re going to be getting another gift.”
What’s more, while officials were celebrating the $700,000, Town Manager Michael Maniscalco reminded them the town had initially been promised $1.1 million, “so this really a $400,000 shortfall.”
The finance board voted to spend $349,000 to buy a dump truck and paver for the highway department rather than finance the purchases.
Reich, the former longtime assistant superintendent of schools, cautioned his colleagues they were facing two major expenditures in the coming months. “Our school district is not decreasing in size. Center School isn’t going anywhere.”
The boiler in the Depression-era school is failing and will eventually have to be replaced at an estimated cost of $800,000 to $1 million, Reich said. The roof at the library/ senior center, which continues to leak, also will need to be repaired or replaced.
An engineering firm is scheduled to inspect the roof and will present a proposal to the council later this year, Town Council Chairwoman Melissa H. Engel said. While she acknowledged the validity of Reich’s concerns, Engel said, “That money is taxpayer money, and I have no problem sending it back to them.”
“We can’t finance (it). We can’t keep putting things on our credit card,” Councilor Mark Philhower said by telephone. He couldn’t make the meeting because he and his wife were celebrating their 30th anniversary Tuesday.
With Councilor Dean Markham absent due to his mother’s funeral, Philhower took part in the discussion via phone to ensure there was workable quorum at the meeting.
For his part, Brown proposed divvying up the ECS funds by thirds. Onethird would go to the Board of Education, which saw the finance board reduce its requested increase by $670,000. Another third would go to the tax rate stabilization fund, and the final third to pay down a portion of the taxrate increase.
However, the council majority rejected that proposal and instead voted to adopt the finance board’s recommendation. The council did, however, set the date for the new vote on the general government/ town budget.
The vote will take place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 12 in the Middle School. It was be preceded by a town meeting June 4 on the budget.