Town / School Budgets 09-10

[SyZyGy]

Cut grass, plow snow and
Now clean halls and toilets too:
Schools take MORE Town cash!

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

Press release:
March 3, 2009

Town of Farmington Announces Union Concessions

Farmington Town Hall ---

Eight Farmington Employee unions including all municipal unions and three Board of Education unions plus all non-union administrators, managers, and employees have stepped forward to relinquish previously negotiated wages and/or freeze their salaries for fiscal year 2009-2010. The FEA (teachers) considered but did not grant wage concessions.

The leadership and spirit of cooperation between management/administration, IBPO (Police) Local 331, IAFF (Fire) Local 3103, AFSCME Local 1689, and CSEA/SEIU (Supervisors/Non-Supervisors) Local 2001, FASA (Farmington Administrators and Supervisors), UE Local 222/ CILU Sub-local #60 (Secretarial, Instructional Aides, Drivers and Custodial) and Farmington School Nurses is commendable in light of the extraordinary economic situation. Additionally, the Town Manager, Town Clerk, Interim-Superintendent and Superintendent-Elect will forgo a wage increase next year. These concessions will save $300,000 on the Town side of the budget and $315,000 on the Board of Education side of the budget for a total reduction in the overall Town budget of over $615,000.

“Considering the difficult economic times facing the Town of Farmington, the State of Connecticut and the nation, we applaud these unions for stepping forward to make sacrifices that will help the Town work through this difficult budget” said Town Chair Mike Clark. “Announcements of these union concessions brings the Town closer to the stated budget goal of maintaining services, delivering a budget with little or no tax increase and saving jobs.”

Mary Grace Reed Board of Education Chairman noted that union representatives approached Interim-Superintendent of Schools Dr. Howley in January and early February, prior to any formal Board overtures, asking for discussions with the Board to determine how the unions could help in the wake of this national crisis. “The Board was preparing for some difficult decisions and our unions stepped up even before being asked,” Mrs. Reed said. “These groups recognize that this is a difficult year and that Farmington is no exception. As a community we must lock-arms and find solutions that will maintain the quality our citizens expect in our schools and in town services.”

Contacts:
Farmington Town Council: Mike Clark [phone],
Kathleen A. Eagen: Town Manager 860-675-2352
Farmington Board of Education:

• Mary Grace Reed, [phone]
  
• Ken Koos, [phone]; [phone];
  
• Dr. Eileen Howley, [phone]

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

courant.com/news/local/hr/hc-whdboe0304.artmar04,0,1355689.story
Courant.com
BUDGET

West Hartford Proposes School Budget Of $126.9 Million

By VANESSA DE LA TORRE
March 4, 2009
WEST HARTFORD —

Superintendent David P. Sklarz proposed a $126.9 million education budget Tuesday night that would raise spending by 2.87 percent and keep school programs intact. About 23 full-time positions would be cut, but few that directly affect the classroom.

In fact, the 2009-10 fiscal year plan calls for hiring 10 teachers to meet a projected 72-student increase in high school enrollment and to return elementary class sizes to original guidelines. That means 23 students a class in grades K-3 and 27 in grades 4 and 5. After the first budget referendum defeat last year, the school board voted to raise guideline levels by one student.

Overall, Sklarz's plan is a $3.5 million increase over the current $123.3 million budget. Just to maintain existing services, administrators say, the school system would be facing a $5.07 million — or 4.11 percent — increase.

The proposed actions to reach 2.87 percent include:

• Instituting a $25 annual fee for the roughly 2,000 middle and high school students who participate in intramural or extracurricular activities, such as chess club and mock trial.

• Trimming $754,000 from school and department supply budgets, which include funds for textbooks and printing newsletters.

• Laying off eight special education staff members and two teaching assistants to save $276,000. For another $629,000 in savings, three security guards, two maintenance workers, 20 part-time custodians and four central office staffers — including the coordinator of English for Speakers of Other Languages — would have their positions cut.

• A wage freeze for all non-union employees, including top administrators, for a $84,000 savings.

Salaries and benefits would total $107.5 million under the plan, which translates to a little more than $4 out of every $5 that the school system spends. School officials consider the 2.3 percent increase in salaries relatively low and attribute it to the new teachers' contract, non-classroom cuts and the proposed wage freeze.

If the spending increase is lowered[sic] to zero percent, Sklarz said, "core" programs such as full-day kindergarten and gifted and talented education could be cut. But Sklarz also said that under no scenario would he recommend increasing class sizes....

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

Time for the unions to "give back" to the taxpayers:

"Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Friday, March 6, 2009 -- 8:53 AM ET
-----

651,000 Jobs Lost in February

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday that the
national unemployment rate surged last month to 8.1 percent,
its highest level in 24 years."

Remember, that is on top of th 598,000 lost in January, 09!

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

West Hartford Mayor Suggests Zero Percent Increase In School Spending

Hartford Courant
By JOSH KOVNER and VANESSA DE LA TORRE
March 10, 2009
WEST HARTFORD —

Town officials moved quickly Monday to temper the anxiety that is sure to flow from the town manager's budget proposal, which carries a tax increase of 5.6 percent.

Mayor Scott Slifka vowed that taxpayers won't see a tax hike of that magnitude. In remarks that reflect the rickety local economy and fears of further job losses and cuts in state aid, he said that the town council would use its authority to reduce the proposed 2.87 percent increase in school spending to zero.

That would lower the potential tax increase to 3.6 percent. The council would then work with the community until late April to further reduce that figure before the budget is adopted, said Slifka, who heads the panel's Democratic majority....more..

Let's see how tough the Wethersfield Council Democrats are in comparison!

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

Courant.com

Manchester Considering $159 Million Budget Proposal

By MONICA POLANCO
The Hartford Courant
March 11, 2009
MANCHESTER —

General Manager Scott Shanley has proposed a $159 million budget for 2009-10 that relies on a series of cuts to keep the recommended tax increase under 3 percent.

Shanley said he limited the town's overall increase to just under 1 percent, but revenue shortfalls in several key areas drove the recommended tax increase to 2.5 percent. The proposal includes a 1 percent increase, or $965,784, for the board of education, bringing its proposed budget to $96.3 million.

Shanley's proposed cuts include not opening two of the town's six outdoor pools, not filling 6.5 vacant job positions and eliminating the summer youth employment program. To help keep costs down, the town's department heads and certain managers offered to freeze their salaries, saving the town $45,000, Shanley said. The proposed budget does not call for layoffs....more

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

wethersfieldct.com/node/1439

Special Town Council Meeting
Time: THURSDAY
03/26/2009 - 5:45pm

TOWN COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
BUDGET WORKSHOP
Thursday, March 26, 2009
5:30 PM - Light Supper; 5:45 PM - Meeting
Town Manager's Conference Room

AGENDA:

1. Roll Call
2. Radio Budget, Escrow Funds, Fees - Rae Ann Palmer - 5:45 PM
3. Tax Collector - Marlene Desjardins - 6:00 PM
4. Assessor's Office - Chandler Rose - 6:15 PM
5. Data Services - Paul Dudley - 6:30 PM
6. Fire Department - Chief Flynn - 7:00 PM
7. Review of Budget Workshop Dates and Date to Vote on Budget
8. Tax Abatement for The Ridge at Wethersfield - Assisted Living
9. Adjournment

NB: no public comments as posted. Bring your own food too.

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

March 20, 2009

Mayor Andrew Adil
Members of the Wethersfield Town Council
Citizens and Taxpayers of Wethersfield

As all of you are aware, local and state governments throughout the country are battling our federal monetary crisis, as the economy worsens every day, and citizens lose their jobs, trying to pay bills with a smaller paycheck. Wethersfield is no different. The budget you have before you is one that tries to assist our residents in meeting their budgets, yet keeps core services alive for another year, so that our taxpayers receive the most value for their tax dollars. What makes us unique, though, is that not only are we working with a negative economy, a large amount of lost revenues and higher expenditures, but with a revaluation year, which will mean different tax bills for different types of homes and businesses.

Late last year, I requested the Department Heads to come in with zero increase budgets over this year, and they did an excellent job in doing just that, but for some, this was impossible, without eliminating core services. The staff and I also have to try and make up for lost revenues, which total $1,471,784, due to a loss in investment income, permits, State aid, and other revenues

My goal in this budget proposal is to keep in mind the core services that you, the Town Council, and I have worked on during the last year: identifying exactly what services government should deliver to their citizens, prioritizing those services, and giving them sufficient funding to fulfill their mission. We have worked hard on putting together this list, and you will see some of the results in this budget document. What we are looking for is giving the public key services that affect the greatest number of citizens and assist the Town in a positive manner.

The .62% increase in spending represents a -2.46% decrease in Town expenditures and a 2.85% increase in the Board of Education budget. This would mean a decrease in the mill rate of 3.6 mills, from 34.71 to 31.11. Taking into account the reductions in revenues and the spending increase, the homeowner who had an average assessed value (70%) for FY 08-09 of $152,860 and now has an average assessed value of $180,140 after revaluation, would therefore see an increase of $298.65 in their yearly tax bill.....

Click for Full Town Manager's Budget Message

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

Courant.com

Farmington Budget To Be Presented Monday

March 31, 2009

FARMINGTON

A budget for the coming fiscal year of $82.18 million that would raise spending and taxes by the lowest rate in many years will be presented to residents in a hearing planned for Monday.

If the budget is adopted without any changes, it would boost spending by about .5 percent, the smallest proposed increase in spending in 15 years, said Town Manager Kathleen Eagen. That would require a 1.52 percent tax increase, with the tax rate going from 19.47 mills to 19.77 mills.

As presented, the budget includes $49.5 million for the schools. Then there is $22.8 million for town hall departments, which is the same as what they currently have. Eagen said the town council has avoided increased spending for town hall partly through a wage freeze for employees. Like most municipalities in the state, Farmington is struggling to limit spending and tax increases in the face of a difficult economy. Eagen said she expects the town's revenues will slide by more than 6 percent next year.

Monday's hearing is at 7 p.m. in town hall. The town council will make its final decision on the budget after the hearing, and the budget will be presented to residents at a town meeting on April 20. Residents will vote on the budget in a referendum on April 30.

If residents adopt the budget on April 30 that is the last step in the process. But if the budget is rejected, the council must cut the budget and a second referendum will be held. If the budget is not passed at that second vote the council will meet again and make further reductions before then adopting a budget.

---
www.city-data.com/

Farmington, CT:

Population in July 2007: 25,084.
Population change since 2000: +5.4%


Males: 11,880 (47.4%)
Females: 13,204 (52.6%)

Median resident age: 40.4 years
Connecticut median age: 37.4 years

Zip codes: 06030, 06032, 06034.

Estimated median household income in 2007: $80,737 (it was $67,073 in 2000)
Farmington: $80,737
Connecticut: $65,967

Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $320,450 (it was $184,800 in 2000)
Farmington: $320,450
Connecticut: $309,200


Races in Farmington:

* White Non-Hispanic (91.5%)
* Hispanic (2.2%)
* Black (1.5%)
* Chinese (1.2%)
* Asian Indian (1.2%)
* Two or more races (1.1%)
* Other race (0.6%)


Wethersfield, CT:

Population in July 2007: 26,831.
Males: 12,451 (46.4%)
Females: 14,380 (53.6%)

Median resident age: 44.1 years
Connecticut median age: 37.4 years

Zip codes: 06109, 06129.

Estimated median household income in 2007: $64,145 (it was $53,289 in 2000)
Wethersfield: $64,145
Connecticut: $65,967

Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $272,937 (it was $157,400 in 2000)
Wethersfield: $272,937
Connecticut: $309,200


Profiles of local businesses:
New England Notes, Inc.

Races in Wethersfield:

* White Non-Hispanic (91.2%)
* Hispanic (4.2%)
* Black (2.1%)
* Other race (1.8%)
* Two or more races (1.2%)

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

Courant.com

Manchester Town Workers Agree to Forgo Wage Hikes

April 1, 2009

MANCHESTER -- In separate actions, 250 town employees have agreed to forgo a general wage increase in the next fiscal year.

Those agreeing to a pay freeze included 180 employees of the town's largest municipal union, Local 991 of Council 4 AFSCME. Union members — who include public works, library and town hall employees and other clerical staff — voted "overwhelmingly" to accept the one-year wage freeze, according to a press release today.

"As public service workers we keenly understand that we all have a stake in Manchester's economic future," Local 991 President Thomas Stough said in a prepared statement. "That's why we stepped up to the plate to help protect the services we provide to the residents and businesses of our town. The last thing we should be doing in an economic downturn is slashing services to the citizens."

Employees agreeing to the wage freeze also included nonunion members. In a memo to the board of directors, General Manager Scott Shanley wrote that he had been asked to communicate with them on behalf of the town's 38 unaffiliated employees.....

Click for the FULL story

###

What about the Teachers' and Administrators' unions; are they as magnanimous?

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

You can make comments to the Council about anything -
including the Budget -
which hearing is to be THIS MONDAY EVENING:

ONLINE COMMENTS TO COUNCIL!

[JoeSixpack]

Dr. Ken;

All this doom and gloom. Everything will be OK, President Obama is on it!
The Treasuries receivables are on the rise, as long as he keeps picking cabinet members and they pay their back taxes. ;D