Town Manager Posts Recommended Budget; Public Hearing Tuesday

Town Manager Kathy Eagen posted her recommended budget today for fiscal year 2011-2012 with a 3.04 percent increase on the town side. The budget also passes along the Board of Education’s recommended budget increase of 5.79 percent.

Revenue, from sources including interest, grants and fund balance, are down $978,798 or 9.79 percent. If adopted as is, the budget would total $88,687,339.

As a result, if adopted as is, the mill rate would increase by 1.14 mills to a total of 21.60. This would raise the average homeowner’s real estate taxes by $300 based on the average homeowner’s assessment, which is $258,899.

A public hearing on the Town Manager’s 2011-2012 Recommended Operating Budget will be held at the Town Hall in the Council Chambers Tuesday, March 8 at 7 p.m. During this time the public is invited to speak to the council about the budget.

Budget workshops will follow on March 9 and 10 at 4 p.m. in the Council Chambers.

The tentative schedule for March 9 will address the Board of Education budget at 4 p.m., the library at 6 p.m. and general government, including public safety, public works, community and recreation and other funds at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend and a public comment period will be held.

On March 10 the council will begin at 4 p.m. addressing the general government administration, debt service tentatively at 5 p.m., capital budget at 5:30 p.m., non-tax revenues at 6 p.m. and discussion of the tax rate at 6:30 p.m. A public comment period will be held at the beginning of the meeting.

At 9 a.m. on March 12, the council will consider and take action on the budget.

Additional meetings are planned for March 14 and 15, if needed.

The budget workshops will be rebroadcast on Nutmeg TV's government access channel 96 on Comcast on March 15 and 17 from 4 to 9 p.m., March 12 from 9 a.m. to noon, March 14 from 4 ton 9 p.m. and March 15 from 4 to 9 p.m. if the March 14 meeting takes place.