Budget OK’d without money for stadium upgrades
NEW CANAAN — The Board of Finance has unanimously approved a proposed $166,650,202 town operating budget for 2023-24 that includes a jump of more than 3 percent from last year’s $162.5 million spending plan.
The proposed budget now heads to the Town Council for final approval.
In order to meet expenses highlighted in the Board of Selectmen’s original $170.4 million proposal — a 5.5 percent increase from the current operating budget — the BOF proposed and also unanimously approved a $4 million “draw down” from the general fund.
“We’re moving this to the Town Council,” BOF Chair Todd Lavieri said, with the Board of Selectmen making the official presentation later this month.
The Town Council will still have the option of reducing the budget, accepting it or rejecting it entirely.
The budget package, which the BOF passed unanimously in eight separate votes, included approving $52.8 million for capital projects, per the town’s five-year capital plan. Approximately $32 million of that amount was earmarked for the new police station and training.
The board also approved a property tax-collection rate of 98.5 percent, which means $152.2 million of the FY24 budget will be raised through taxation.
The town budget includes the Board of Education budget, which came in at $103.85 million — a 4.8 percent increase over its current budget.
Before the vote, the BOF rejected a request by the New Canaan Athletic Foundation Inc. to set aside more funds toward renovating Dunning Stadium, citing a lack of information in its proposal and plans.
The BOF had previously said it would allocate $1.5 million conditional funding in the next budget, but Benevento returned to the finance board Thursday to ask for more money than that, say that completing the first phase of the project cost more than initially estimated.
Benevento said the cost for a press box, donor wall and entryway is “roughly $2 million,” but said the site work that would need to be done went beyond the first phase of the project, and would require more money.
“The site work is inclusive of some other things that you might get benefit from down the road,” he said, such as bathrooms and a concession stand, but he said it was unknown whether that work would actually be done in the future.
BOF members said they felt that they weren’t being shown the entire master plan, and needed to have complete information in hand before sanctioning more funding.
“It sounds to me like there’s a big master plan for the athletic facilities that includes a lot of things, and we’re seeing a little bit of it,” one member said.
Other also expressed concerns for specifics.
“I haven’t gotten a piece of paper that has a number on it,” Vice Chair Thomas Schulte told Mike Benevento, chair of the local nonprofit group that wants to see a multiphase, multi-turf athletic field project come to fruition. “We’re trying to be accommodating here, but if this thing doesn’t happen it’s because ... we didn’t have the information.”
Benevento said he was experiencing “equal frustration” with the board, explaining that he was advised not to share some details about the plans, as they were considered irrelevant to the first phase of the project.
Member Bob Hamill spoke in support of Benevento’s efforts, pointing out that by delaying the promise of additional funding, certain donors could pull out on their pledges.
“We could lose a big donor in a hurry ... People move, people lose wealth, gain wealth,” Hamill said.
Member Colm Dobbyn said he agreed with that assessment, but that more information was still required.
“I just don’t think tonight I know enough about it ... I think we need details to actually allocate money,” he said.