MONROE, Conn. — The Town Council unanimously approved a $35,257,112 municipal budget Monday night, sending it to the Board of Finance, which will hold workshops on the entire town budget, which includes $76.7 million for Monroe’s public schools.
Town Councilman Jason Maur made four motions to trim the municipal budget by a total of $5,394, but every motion was voted down along party lines 5-3, with fellow Democrats Cathy Kohut and Nina Gagnon joining Maur in favor and Republicans — Chairman Jonathan Formichella, Vice Chair Dona-Lyn Wales, Enid Lipeles, Sean O’Rourke and Vincent Duva against.
Maur’s first failed motion was to reduce the first selectman’s office expense line by $1,000 from $4,200 to $3,200, because he said spending has been consistently well below the budgeted amounts over the past five years.
“These are the small kinds of cuts we can make to trim the fat away from the budget,” Maur said. “While they are small, they can add up over time.”
He had also proposed a $500 cut to the town clerk printing line from $2,000 to $1,500.
“We have a five year average that runs under $500 each year on this line,” Maur said. “It still would provide for a $1,000 cushion. In talking to our town clerk the $1,500 cushion does seem to be enough for that department.”
Maur had another motion to reduce the line item for Stepney Volunteer Fire Department building and grounds maintenance by $2,894 to a total of $9,166. He said this is because a $2,894 increase was given to the annual amount with no explanation.
His last motion was to decrease the budget line for Social Services operating expenses by $1,000, from $2,672 to $1,672. Maur said the five year average shows approximately half of what is currently budgeted for is actually spent. Maur also said a $50 increase was proposed for the line item this year with no explanation.
“It would still provide a comfortable cushion for this line item if things come in higher than in the past,” Maur said of his proposed reduction.
An idea
First Selectman Terry Rooney said Maur’s proposed $1,000 cut to his office expenses could be done by delivering Town Council meeting packets to members electronically, rather than having a police officer distribute them.
Rooney said he would much rather have the police officer out on patrol, adding that doing things electronically could save money.
Lipeles agreed with the first selectman’s suggestion.
Though the Town Council can only make adjustments to the municipal operating budget, rather than to the Board of Education’s spending plan, which is reviewed by the Board of Finance, Gagnon made a recommendation to the finance board ahead of its budget workshops.
She asked that enough funds be restored to the education budget to meet increases for salaries and health insurance to preserve the current staff-to-student ratio.
Kohut recommends that the Board of Finance include an advisory question for the budget referendum asking “is the proposed budget too high, too low or just right,” so town officials will know exactly what the “no” votes indicate.
Maur expressed agreement with both Gagnon and Kohut.
He also noted how the town’s tax collections consistently come in higher than assumptions made at budget time. While Maur said he agrees with the need to be conservative in revenue projections, he expressed his belief that the town has been too conservative in projections for revenue lines in the past.
Maur said increasing revenue assumptions will lower the tax burden on individual households, adding he would like the Board of Finance to look into that.
He also noted that insurance estimates have been coming in lower of late and pending contract negotiations are going on with the police union.
All respectful comments with the commenter’s first and last name are welcome.
