MONROE, CT — After discussing, and opting against, potential cuts for office supplies and whether or not to add in $48,910 to hire either a new assistant adult and teen services librarian or a program coordinator for Parks and Recreation, the Town Council unanimously approved a $33.15 million municipal budget for fiscal year 2025-26 Monday night.
It will now go before the Board of Finance, which will review the entire $107,069,131 town budget proposal, which also includes education funding. A final spending plan will ultimately be decided by the voters in a referendum to be held on May 6.
In a year full of difficult decisions amid a state-mandated revaluation drastically increasing home property values, First Selectman Terry Rooney said he believes his budget proposal is the best way for the town to move forward.
“This budget is fiscally responsible,” he told the Town Council. “It’s data driven and factually based. It comes from conversations with citizens in my office. It considers seniors and everyone in Monroe. Holistically, I think it’s a good budget for everyone.”
That being said, the first selectman said he realizes some people are unhappy with the size of the reduction to the education budget increase. But Rooney said he stands by his proposal and expressed his hope the Town Council would support it Monday night.
Town Councilman Jason Maur said, “I think this is a well put together budget. There are still some areas that I think should be looked at by the Board of Finance, but I think they’re up to the task. It’s a good budget. I support it.”
Nevertheless, Maur made a motion for some minor reductions for office supplies, including $750 from the town attorney’s budget, and $500 in supplies and $400 in operating expenses from the fire marshal’s budget.
Maur said he realizes these would be small cuts, but with years of budget surpluses, he expressed his belief that the Town Council should trim the budget where it can.
His motion also included adding $48,910 in wage adjustments for the Human Resources budget, which could be used to hire a full-time assistant adult and teen services librarian at Edith Wheeler Memorial Library.
Maur recalled hearing testimony that expensive equipment in the library’s makerspace is not being fully utilized by patrons due to a shortage in staff.
Rooney mentioned a creative solution his assistant, Kerry McAndrew, had suggested of having high school students, who always need volunteer hours, staff the makerspace.
While not proposing this project in Monroe, to illustrate the amazing things teenagers can do with the technology, Rooney said students in New Haven used a 3D printer to make prosthetic hands.
“I called Joe Kobza and he is excited about it,” Rooney said of his suggesting the idea for students to volunteer to the superintendent.
The first selectman said Parks and Recreation Director Missy Orosz needs a new program coordinator and, given a choice between the two positions, he would rather create the Parks and Recreation position and see how student volunteers do at the library.
Rooney said this does not mean the town wouldn’t add an assistant adult and teen services librarian in the future.
Town Councilwoman Dona-Lyn Wales said she likes the idea of hiring someone to assist in both the library and the Parks and Recreation Department, while also using student volunteers at the library.
Town Council members Sean O’Rourke and Chairman Jonathan Formichella both expressed support for Rooney’s potential solution for the library. Formichella called it “a step in the right direction.”
“I would support the first selectman in trying out those alternative ways to have additional staffing,” Maur said. “If it’s not as fruitful, we would reevaluate next year.”
Library Director Nicole Cignoli, who attended Monday’s meeting, said training or a certificate is needed to oversee the operation of many of the machines in the makerspace. While student volunteers could watch patrons, she said a glowforge, which is the most popular piece of equipment, can pose a fire hazard, so a teenager should not be the one to supervise its use.
Cignoli said the assistant adult and teen services librarian position is not just meant to staff the makerspace. It would also enable the library to expand adult and teen services.
Maur said when people come to the Town Council’s meetings telling members what they want, “we should listen.”
“This entire body always keeps the taxpayers in mind when creating and voting on the budget,” O’Rourke said.
On the part of the proposed amendment where Maur called for small office supply cuts, some other members said they do not see any misuse in these budgets to warrant the reductions. Maur said he was not suggesting that that is the case.
While disagreeing with him, Formichella said he appreciates the spirit in which Maur proposed these measures.
The amendment was defeated by a vote of 5 to 2 along party lines with Republicans Formichella, O’Rourke, Wales, Kevin Reid and Vice Chair Enid Lipeles voting no and Democrats Maur and Cathy Kohut voting yes.
Then Maur made separate motions for each office reduction included in his original motion and all failed without someone seconding it.
Maur then made a motion to propose an amendment to add $48,910 in wage adjustments for the Human Resources budget, which he said could either be used for the library or the Parks and Recreation position.
His motion was seconded by Kohut, but the amendment was defeated along party lines by a vote of 5 to 2.
Prior to the unanimous approval of the $33,151,502 municipal budget proposal, Maur reiterated that be believes it is a strong budget. But he expressed his hope that the Board of Finance will ensure the town is maximizing the amount of funding that can be used to maintain the town’s roads, and that the board will consider the two town positions the Town Council had just discussed.
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