Voters in Monroe and Newtown head to the polls – again – in an effort to get a 2010 budget to pass.
In Monroe, First Selectman Steve Vavrack slashed an additional $610,000 from the last failed budget, shaving it to a lean $76.7 million.
This will be the town’s third attempt to pass the budget. The initial budget failed by 439 votes, and the second by 209.
The largest cut – $560,000 – is from the education side of the budget; while the town side is reduced by ad additional $50,000.
Mr. Vavrek, in his first term as First Selectman, will cut the position of Economic and Community Development Coordinator in order to meet his budgetary objectives on the town side. The First Selectman continues to stand firm on his promise not to cut funding for road repair and infrastructure.
The challenge for the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Colleen Palmer, is to figure out how to make the cuts without compromising the quality of education. Mitigation strategies have included the prospect of closing Chalk Hill school and staff layoffs. Also under consideration are the closing of the Masuk high school pool, shorter classes for music and art and higher fees for the pay-to-play programs.
Dr. Palmer has indicated that there will be no layoffs of paraprofessionals.
In Newtown, the town hopes the 2010 budget will pass this second time around. The originally proposed budget of $104.5 million went down in defeat by 51 votes, 1899 to 1848.
As a result of the failed budget, the Legislative Council met recently and revised the budget that will be presented to the voters at a second referendum on May 18.
A reduction of 2.4 per cent of an overall tax increase is the result of a revised estimate by the town’s health insurance consultant – a savings of $500,000 for the town’s and the school board’s health insurance policies.
First Selectman Pat Liodra also informed the council that there could be another $503,000 in town spending reductions.
The voters will have the last word on the third Tuesday in May.