The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Quiet budget hearing, June 2 vote
WINCHESTER — Paper ballots were ready to be used for the first time at Winsted’s town budget meeting on Monday night — but they weren’t needed. The $33.6 million budget — $19.95 million for education, and $13.65 million for municipal operations — was sent to referendum without a single person requesting a change to the document.
Had any change had been put forward, the 5.5 by 8.5 inch photocopied ballots would have been used in place of voting machines, which have been retired.
While some may have expected the meeting to be contentious, the annual gathering at the Gilbert School auditorium lasted just 23 minutes.
About 60 taxpayers at the meeting voted unanimously to hold a referendum June 2.
Prior to the meeting, Mayor Candy Perez said in an interview that Town Manager Robert Geiger and town staff did a lot of work in preparing the budget.
The proposed tax rate of 33.54 mills is the same as last year’s. She said one concern of residents is the inclusion in the budget of a paid fire chief.
Fire Chief David Sartirana, a volunteer, said before the meeting began that hiring a part-time chief was “very fiscally responsible.”
He said the job, which includes a $40,000 annual salary, would add support for the 40 volunteers who respond to fires.
“The fire chief is required to go to every fire. They have the responsibility of saving lives,” Sartirana said. He believes the part-time salary “reflects the work involved.”
Geiger was first on the agenda to discuss the proposed budget. He said the town will receive a total of $600,000 in state grants for road repairs.
Of that total, $100,000 would be used for “an extremely dangerous intersection.”
Geiger was referring to the area of Bridge, Depot, Willow and Prospect streets.
The Board of Education’s budget proposal, totaling $19.958 million, was presented by Superintendent of Schools Melony Brady-Shanley, who said it was the first she’s given at a town meeting.
She told the audience that unlike other school districts, Winchester is seeing growth in student enrollment.
Brady-Shanley discussed other highlights of the district in the past year. “We decreased chronic absenteeism below the state level,” she said.
Looking forward, Brady-Shanley said the district would work in a “strategic staffing mode,” which means the sharing of staff and both Pearson and Batcheller schools.
“We have the budget online and accessible,” said Perez.
She said administrators “brought us a reasonable request. We’re returning funds to the town.”