The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Residents approve $11.1 M budget
GOSHEN » Residents came out Wednesday evening to support the proposed 2017-18 budget, approving it by a wide margin at the annual town meeting, according to First Selectman Bob Valentine.
Of more than 100 attendees, only one person voted against the $11.1 million financial plan, according to Valentine.
“I’m appreciative of the townspeople coming out,” said Valentine.
The amount of support the budget received, Valentine said, was indicative of the regard residents have for the hard work of town staff.
Just over $3 million will go towards town operations under the
budget, while $7.34 million will go to Regional School District #7, and $729,808 will be set aside for capital expenses, to include road work and the replacement of a fire engine and trucks used by the Public Works Department.
Including the capital budget, the total financial plan represents a $117,962 increase over the current fiscal year.
The tax rate in the community will be 19.6 mills, according to Valentine — a 0.9 percent increase.
The package allows for a potential reduction in state funding, he said, but does not take into account the proposal by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to have towns and cities assume a portion of the cost of teacher retirement pensions.
Under the governor’s latest proposal, Goshen would be required to pay $316,025 in both the 2018 and 2019 fiscal years.
Valentine said Thursday that he did not believe state legislators wanted to have municipalities make up the gap in the state funding of teacher pensions, but that there wasn’t a clear path to find funding to deal with the $400 million-plus difference in another way.
As he has in the past, Valentine voiced his opposition to the concept. The pension fund was created and administered at the state level, he said Thursday, and thus should not be a municipal responsibility.
“It’s a state of Connecticut issue,” said Valentine.
If the teacher retirement measure were included in the state budget, or funding to the community were cut to a significant extent, Valentine said a supplemental tax would be levied.
Municipal officials from throughout the region have been taking different approaches to considering this uncertainty at the state level, with some basing plans on the governor’s proposal, some estimating a likely allocation from the state, and others biding their time until firmer projections are available.
The delayed state budgeting process, Valentine said, would not have a significant effect on the operations of the town of Goshen.
“Our grants have been cut so substantially... (that) no, it won’t,” said Valentine.
State elected officials said Thursday that a budget would not be reached by June 7, according to CT News Junkie, requiring a special session of the legislature to be held.