Proposed Budget Receives Mixed Reviews From Residents

“If ever a year in the town of North Haven needs a balanced budget it’s this year,” said Ray Fowler.

“We’re saving pennies and wasting millions,” said Louis Mele.

“I’m not against capital expenditures, but when you add them to the budget you’re bringing up the budget and the mill rate,” said Ann Ruocco.

These were a few of the objections to the 2011-12 proposed town budget, which was presented last night to residents in the North Haven High School auditorium.

The meeting began with a presentation by First Selectman Michael Freda, who informed residents that this is the budget that had been approved by the Board of Finance in April. As proposed, the town plans to spend $84,091,298, with 52 percent of it devoted to the school budget and 48 percent to town expenses. This represents a 1.2 percent increase over the current budget. The mill rate would increase .35 to 26.53, which would equate to $70 more in taxes annually for each homeowner.

Capital expenditures of $1.3 million included in the budget will fund $425,000 for a new fire truck, $205,000 for a sanitation packer truck and $110,000 for backhoe replacement.

The town referendum, when residents will vote yes or no for the proposed budget, will take place on May 17.

Ruocco said she’ll be voting no, but other residents supported the budget, including Sherry Gibson, a PTA co-president who warned that a no vote would have a negative impact on the education budget.

Julie Bossenberry also supported the budget. “My tax dollars are being well spent and as a parent I value what the town offers a family,” she said.

The rise in the new budget is the second lowest in the last ten years, the first selectman said.

“It enhances our level of service to residents, reflects true capital needs and reinvests back into North Haven with capital upgrades,” Freda said.

Ruocco quickly opposed the addition of capital expenditures to the town budget. “They’re non-recurring items that should be separate from the budget and should be funded in a different way,” she said.

She said a state statute declares capital expenditures should not be included in town budgets, but another resident questioned this statement, saying he’d studied the statutes and not found one that pertained to the issue. Freda said capital expenditures have been part of the town budget for years.

Mele criticized the budget for police and fire bonuses and pensions. “You add these things up and it’s not effective management,” he said.

Freda explained that Mele's complaints were directed at collective bargaining agreements that have been established over many years. “You can’t take one fell swoop and change everything, we need new collective bargaining agreements,” Freda said.

Fowler’s call for a balanced budget included a comment about the capital expenditures. “If you buy a new fire truck and garbage truck, what are you going to cut?” he asked. “I think we ought to ask the council to go back and sharpen their pencils. We might lose a few niceties but we love our town so let’s make it work."