MONROE, CT — A few people spoke at the budget hearing before the Town Council last Thursday. Some expressed their belief that First Selectman Terry Rooney’s cut the proposed education spending increase went too far, while others advocated for a full-time adult and teen services library assistant position, meant to allow for the expansion of hours for Edith Wheeler Memorial Library’s makerspace.
The hearing allowed residents to speak at the podium inside the Monroe Town Council’s Chambers, remotely online, or to call in. The council can only review the municipal side of the budget, but the Board of Finance can make adjustments to the entire town budget.
The $107,069,131 town budget proposal includes $73,917,629 for education, which is $2,453,370 or 3.43 percent higher than the current $71,464,259 spending plan.
The first selectman had decreased the school board’s proposal by $1,850,000 to lower the impact on taxpayers amid a revaluation year that saw sharp increases in residential property values.
Municipal spending would rise from $31,873,849 to $32,437,035 for a $563,186 or 1.77 percent increase. The town budget also includes total fund appropriations and contingency, which would be reduced from $771,586 to $714,467 in the first selectman’s proposal.
Rooney recommended reducing the tax rate by nearly 10 mills and using $4 million of surplus funds to limit the impact the state-mandated revaluation will have on homeowners.
After the Town Council and Board of Finance review budget, a final proposal will come before voters at referendum on May 6.
Education funding
During the hearing, the mother of a special needs student at Masuk High School noted how student enrollment increased by about 700 students over the past five years, which she said is enough for an entire school.
In light of that, she expressed her concern that too much money was cut from the proposed increase. The Board of Education had requested a 6.02 spending percent increase. The first selectman had said the trajectory of increases the school board has been asking for is not sustainable,
The mother said she thinks it is not sustainable to not support the increase educators requested.
“I typically don’t respond, but I’d like to respond,” Rooney said at the hearing. “Last year the Board of Education had a 5.4 percent increase under my budget, which is the largest the Board of Education has seen.”
“I just want to bring to your attention that the state of Connecticut also cut funding for special needs in the tune of $300,000 this year,” he continued. “I just wanted to bring that to your attention if you didn’t know. But I agree with you. We care about our kids and we care about their education.”
Rooney pointed out that Monroe’s schools would still be getting a nearly $2.5 million increase and there are many people in town living on fixed incomes. He said the town needs to pass a budget that works for everyone.
Evan Sobel, another resident, spoke in agreement with the first speaker. Though he acknowledged the Board of Education would be getting a large increase, he said he believes it is not enough to cover some contractual and basic expenses.
Sobel said he hopes the Board of Finance can find ways to add more money for the town’s schools later in the budget process.
A new library position
During the hearing, Sheri Szymanski, a town resident, spoke in favor of Library Director Nicole Cignoli’s recommendation for a new adult and teen services library assistant position at Edith Wheeler Memorial Library.
“I’m here to talk about the need for staffing in order to maximize the return on the investment this community has made in makerspace services at the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library,” she said.
Szymanski said the community gathers at the makerspace to create, learn and invent with tools and technologies they may not otherwise have access to. But the library cannot simply leave this equipment out for people to use, she said.
“In order to safely and effectively use it, you must have an orientation,” Szymanski said.
She told the Town Council there are private makerspace clubs throughout Connecticut, whose members spend hundreds of dollars a year for access and time on the same equipment Monroe offers at its public library.
“The library makerspace helps ease the economic burden on our residents by eliminating the membership and access fees,” Szymanski said. “Based on its use last year, the library makerspace saved Monroe residents more than $27,000 and it has the potential to save us so much more.”
But last year, Szymanski said more than half of residents signing up for appointments to use the space spent time on a waiting list due to the lack of staffing.
“As a taxpayer, it irks me to see equipment and services sitting idle,” she said. “By adding an adult and teen services library assistant our library will be able to remove this barrier to access and the equipment will be used more frequently.”
Abigail Krause, a Monroe resident of 30 years and a library volunteer, spoke of the heavy use of the makerspace when it is open.
“I think it’s detrimental to our townspeople to be on a waiting list and there are only a certain amount of slots on Mondays and Wednesdays each week, where people can come in and do these projects,” Krause said. “I love the makerspace. I think it’s important. I definitely think it’s important to have a full timer in that position.”
Krause said it would not be a good idea for the town to allow library patrons to use the equipment unsupervised, since it is so expensive. For example, she said a glowforge and a 3D printer easily costs anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000 a piece.
Krause said some projects take hours to complete. “I think having a full-timer in this position will eliminate a lot of these waiting lists,” she said.
Cignoli read two letters from residents into the record.
In one letter, Susan Koneff, a member of the Library Board of Directors, said the position is desperately needed.
Currently, part-time staff consists of college students splitting time between their school work and when the library cannot afford to hire them after graduation, the town loses these trained professionals and Cignoli is constantly spending time hiring replacement staff, according to Koneff.
Koneff said the town should add the new full-time position to ensure Monroe can serve the public in an efficient and economic way.
Deborah Lupo, a fellow member of the Library Board of Directors, also wrote a letter, saying the full-time position is needed to expand hours in the makerspace to meet public demand. She said usage and waiting time has been increasing.
Sobel also expressed his support for the position.
Town Councilman Jason Maur suggested that the first selectman and library director could collaborate by putting exhibits of projects created in the makerspace on display inside Town Hall, so people can see what can be done and support it.
“I have supported the makerspace,” Rooney said. “It would be fantastic and Nicole knows I have no problem collaborating with that stuff.”
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