Is A 3.86% Increase In Town Spending Acceptable?

In the next seven days, over the course of four meetings, Waterford's  Representative Town Meeting will finalize the town’s budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year.

Right now, the group has been given an $81.8 million plan that increases spending by 3.86 percent over this year’s $78.8 million total. The budget has already been approved by the Board of Finance, with the Board of Selectmen and Board of Education each approving their sections of the spending plan.

Waterford Finance Director Rudie Beers, when asked Friday, would not speculate on how much taxes would increase if the spending plan were adopted as is. Beers said the town's revenues could change, i.e. the amount the town gets from the state government, and the RTM could further reduce the budget.

Furthermore, the town went through a revaluation this year that saw the grand list drop by 14.4 percent. As part of that revaluation, home values fell more than personal property values, which means that homeowners overall will pay a smaller percentage of taxes and businesses – particularly Millstone Power Station – will pay a larger percentage of taxes.

Why The Spending Increase?

Waterford’s town budget is broken into three separate parts: the general government’s operating budget, the schools’ operating budget and the capital and debt service budget. Overall, the proposed spending plan is an increase of $3.04 million over this year’s $78.8 million total.

The biggest increase in the budget proposal is a $1.7 million increase in the capital and debt service budget, or an increase of 29.20 percent from this year’s total. The main reason for that increase is to pay for the $67 million high school renovation, a project the town has already approved.

The next largest increase is from the general government’s operating budget, which is proposing to increase spending by $879,236 over this year’s total, or 3.07 percent. The largest increases in that budget are from the police department, which is proposing to spend 4.16 percent more next year, the fire department, which is proposing to spend 3.74 percent more next year, and in the budget for municipal employee retirements, which is controlled by the state, a $108,894 increase.

First Selectman Dan Steward said the reason for the increases is to pay for higher salaries for town employees and from benefits, like retirements, that are out of the town’s control. He said if the budget was cut, the town would have to cut services.

Finally, the Board of Education is proposing to spend $44.6 million next school year, a 0.96 increase over this year’s $44.2 million total. However, Superintendent Jerome Belair said he should be able to cut his proposal by $100,000 after the district found a cheaper way to transport special education students, meaning a budget of $44.5 million for next year, or a 0.73 percent increase over this year’s total.

The education budget adds a security guard at the high school, a guidance counselor at the middle school and strengthens the talented and gifted program at the middle school and elementary schools. It also, thanks to smaller enrollment and some moving around of teachers, should mean smaller class sizes next year.

Meetings

The RTM will meet four times in the next seven days to finalize the budget, starting tonight. The 22-member committee will go through each department's budget and then on Monday, finalize the town's budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year.

The 2013-14 budget will impact the town's July tax bills. Each meeting by the RTM is open to the public and there is time at the beginning of each meeting for public comment. Below is the time of each meeting (all the meetings will be held in the town hall auditorium), and the department's budgets that the RTM will be reviewing.

Monday, May 6, 7:30 p.m.

Social Services Grants
Registrars of Voters
Conservation of Health
Youth Services Bureau
Flood & Erosion Control Board
Harbor Management Commission
Ethics Commission
Board of Assessment Appeals
Assessor
Tax Collector
Public Works
Utility Commission
Board of Police Commissioners
Emergency Management

Tuesday, May 7, 7:30 p.m.

Zoning Board of Appeals
Economic Development Commission
Conservation Commission
Planning and Zoning Commission
Building Department
Building Maintenance
Recreation and Parks Commission
Community Use of Schools
Fire Services
Board of Selectmen
Current Year Capital Improvements
Transfer to Capital and Nonrecurring Expenditure Fund

Wednesday, May 8, 7:30 p.m.

Waterford Public Library
Senior Citizens Commission
RTM
Town Clerk
Finance Department
Human Resources Department
Board of Finance
Contingency
Debt Service
Insurance
Legal Department 
Retirement Commission

Monday, May 13, 7:30 p.m.

Board of Education
Final Action