Politics & Government

Board of Selectmen Prepares to Vote on Budget

Selectmen to meet March 2, Board of Education begins its budget process Thursday

The Board of Selectmen held a budget workshop Wednesday and is looking to set its final budget proposal March 2.

The plan will go to the Board of Finance by March 14.

Selectmen are working off  Chief Administrative Officer Robert Skinner’s preliminary Board of Selectmen’s Budget of $9,314,628, a $254,926 or 2.8 percent increase over the current budget.

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The plan, which does not include education spending, includes $8,564,628 for Board of Selectmen operations, a 1 percent decease from the current $8,654,702. Capital improvements are proposed at $750,000, an 85.2-percent increase over the 2010-2011 allocation of $345,000.

Much of the reason for the large capital increase was the shifting of money for roads from the operations budget to the capital plan.

Find out what's happening in Cantonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Over the past several weeks selectmen have held several budget workshops, looking at the plan in detail. Members are looking at a few changes, many minor and logistical. Some of the changes are:

  • Deducting $3,000 from the police department’s patrol overtime budget, a number offset by an additional $3,250 in educational incentives for officers.
  • A donation of $1,000 to the Canton Historical Museum funded by lowering Skinner’s advertising budget by the same amount.
  • An additional $1,559 for additional debt expenses to the Farmington Valley Health District
  • The reduction of $985 for cable television in the senior services room.

Wednesday night, selectmen also discussed a proposal to add a teen librarian at Canton Public Library.

In his budget proposal, Skinner did not include Director Robert Simon’s request for a 19-hour-a-week position at a cost of $25,688.

Selectman Stephen Roberto worked with Simon to come up with a proposal for a 12-hour position for 50 weeks a year, which would cost about $15,600 in salary and approximately $500 in benefits.

Roberto spoke in favor of the idea, saying recent improvements to the teen area of the facility have been a nice addition.

“They really have invested a lot to get to where they are in that area,” he said.

Other selectmen, however, did not want to add a position in the budget as it stands.

Selectman David Gilchrist said the town is supporting additional programs for teens with a Parks and Recreation position that will help cover programs sponsored by that department and the Youth Services Bureau. He said the schools also offer many teen programs.

Selectmen Bruce Lockwood said he did not want to support new positions until some $16,000 cut from the fire marshal’s office in a previous budget was restored.

First Selectman Richard Barlow spoke a fair amount on the position but said he would be much more likely to support it if the library could find ways to raise more revenue by possibly charging for special programs like movies or finding some savings and efficiencies in other areas.

The library does bring in revenue from copies and book fines but Simon has opposed charging for any program.

Without committing to any decision, the board ultimately decided to give Simon a chance to come up with a way to offset at least some of the costs for the position, even if it’s savings in other areas. Barlow said he’d like to see about half the costs saved in other areas to consider it.

One area selectmen are likely to add funds to the budget is for roads.

While Skinner proposed $320,000 in the 2011-12 plan, selectmen are hoping to get that number closer to $400,000. Some of that difference would be achieved through adjustments in other areas of the budget.

On March 2, the board will also meet with a consultant from the town’s recent Pavement Management Study.

Wednesday, selectmen also talked about revenue, which is gathered through taxes, grants, state and a few other reimbursements and state aid. 

There are only a few changes at the state level that would affect the town, resulting in the loss of about $35,000 in revenues, officials said.

Even with the changes, it looks like the town’s part of the budget would come in at or less than a 3 ercent increase, Barlow said. He said with a flat budget last year and a 3 percent reduction two years ago, he felt it was a good run.

Officials do not yet have a even a preliminary projected tax rate because the Board of Education does not yet have a proposed budget.

Superintendent Kevin Case will release his proposed numbers at a meeting in the Canton High School Library/Media Center at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Board of Education will hold workshops on that proposal and can potentially make adjustments before passing the plan to the finance board. (Dates will be published on Patch tomorrow).

By early April, both the town and Board of Education budgets will be presented to the Board of Finance, which will host a public hearing April 7.

On April 14, the Board of Finance plans to hold a budget workshop to discuss the hearing and any potential adjustments in budget amounts.

On April 18, the finance board will hold a meeting and finalize its proposed numbers for a town-wide mailer.

The annual budget meeting will be held May 9.


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