Town & School Budget for 2007-2008

[cruzrt]

At the Town Council Meeting on February 5th, they approved a new Teacher Contract. But, the Wethersfield Post says the annual cost of the contract is +4.8%, while the Courant says it is +3.0%. That's a big difference in dollars. Does anyone know which is right?

[oldetowne]

It's 4.8%. The way these contracts work is that they provide a "raise" as well as a "step". The "raise" is 3% for each of the three years of the contract. The "step" (e.g., increasing one year in seniority or service) is 1.8%, 1.7% and 1.5% over the term of the contract. A teacher receive $x today will get both the 3% raise and the 1.8% step for purposes of calculating their salary next year. Everyone gets the raise and the step each year.

The wage and salary impact summary prepared by the BOE says that "the tentative agreement results in an increase of $941,680 in the 2007-08 Certified Salaries Account, or 4.8% over the amount budgeted for 2006-07."

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

The TOW published on its website the following reminder:

"The April 16th Town Council meeting will be the Public Hearing on the proposed Town budget. This meeting will be held at the Wethersfield High School Auditorium. It will start at 7:00 p.m. with a presentation of the proposed budget by Town Manager Bonnie Therrien and the Superintendent of Schools Pat Proctor. There is an opportunity for the public to speak on the proposed budget after the presentation. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. There is no early signup to speak; there will be a sheet on the podium."

Commentary:
There is little reason to believe that anything that is offered up at the Public Hearing is going to change ANYTHING which already has been decided by the "powers that be." Some minor adjustments to the minutia of the budget may happen, but I would not expect anything substantial happening due to any public comment.

Having said that, I would suggest that for those who wish to speak, DON'T get there early and DON'T sign up for an early speaking position. By speaking LATER, you will have the opportunity to rebut or enhance comments made by earlier speakers.

Also, remember that there will be a presentation by the Manager and by the Superintendent about their proposals. It may be 30-60 minutes before the public has an opportunity to say anything. Take time and have a good supper, dessert and maybe fortify yourself with an appropriate adult beverage (caveat: in moderation of course and ONLY if you have a designated driver!) before to head out to the hearing - don't rush.

Remember, you have TWO chances to speak: for 10 minutes the first time around, and, if you are still there and still awake, another 10 minutes during the 'second call' (after everyone has had a chance to speak the first time).

Remember, this is at the WHS auditorium, NOT at SDMS and NOT at the Pitkin.

Remember, there is no picketing with signs made of metal or wooden parts (they could be used as a weapon or projectile, I believe is the reason); so only "soft" signs would be allowed as long as their use does not cause an impediment to the process of the hearing, I believe.

[oldetowne]

I'll just watch it on channel 14. Oh wait, it's not going to be on there? Then I will just read about it in the Courant. What? They don't cover Wethersfield any more? Then I guess I will just wait until I get my tax bill in June and see whether the increase is more than the 7% that I am budgeting for.

[cruzrt]

Does anyone know how to find the town's proposed budget on their website? On TV, they said it would be posted there, but I can't seem to find any links or titles that sound like it? Same question for the BOE budget; it does not show up anyplace on their website.

[stvman]

That 1.87% tax increase sounds good....but. They assume that the town will get $2,100,000 extra in Education funding from Gov. Rell's version of the new state budget. What happens if the veto-proof Democratic budget gets paqssed instead? My trusty calculator computes a 5.2% tax increase (instead of 1.87%) if that extra $2 million doesn't find its way to us. At the Public Hearing last week, a citizen raised this issue, but neither the Mayor nor the Manager chose to comment.

[oldetowne]

You have pointed out one of the many questions I have about the budget. Essentially, by picking the Governor's revenue figure, they are starting off with a $700K hole in the budget.

I also think it's really ironic that it's being kept as low as it is by doing all of the same things that they had criticized the Republicans for - taking 700K of money out of reserves to "buy down" the tax increase, postponing nearly all capital improvements of any substance, and artificially understating several department budgets (there are 6 or 7 that are budgeted at amounts far less than the experience of the past two years would show is reasonable). In addition, the property tax revenue figure doesn't account for any adjustments to the grand list that the Board of Assessment Appeals may make during its deliberations - all of which will be in the downward direction.

Nobody has even started to look at the school side of things - they are floating along increases calculated on the basis of their erroneous budget of two years ago (500K+ surplus with no explanation). Finally, why are we paying more in salaries and benefits to library employees during a year when the library is CLOSED than we did during any year in the past.

The Council majority has done such an excellent job of ignoring, demeaning and attacking any citizens who ask questions or try to make constructive suggestions that this budget will coast through to adoption with nothing more than a flurry of self-congratulatory press releases and infomercials on Channel 14.