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03/31/2015 12:00 AMFaced with a revenue shortfall of some $879,000, the Town Council is mulling a proposed 2015-16 fiscal budget of $51.3 million which carries a potential mill rate increase of 1.73 mills. As the town’s Finance Board, the council workshops to finalize a budget for adoption. The new fiscal year begins July 1, 2015.
As Town Manager Michael Paulhus pointed out in his budget overview to the council March 17, the proposed budget is being figured with a revenue shortfall of $879,372 that equates to 0.71% of the proposed 1.73 mill increase. The total budget request is $51,338,844.
That’s because the town is facing a loss from two major revenue streams. It will see a decrease in PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) revenues of -$423,372 (primarily from Regional Water Authority) and, per town policy, will not be able to use Fund Balance monies this year to offset taxes, creating an additional revenue short fall of -$456,000. There won’t be much revenue help from the Grand List’s extremely modest growth of 0.57%; and only a flat contribution from state aid to education ($23,805) and flat revenue from permit fees and licenses is expected.
While the council works to ensure the budget will meet the town’s fixed costs and obligations; it will also consider whether to approve spending requests which have been stripped to the “bare minimum” on the municipal side, said Paulhus.
The total municipal budget of $14,127,661 equals a requested 2.3% annual increase with $327,994 in new spending. The new municipal spending includes a request to add a part-time Zoning Enforcement Officer, a part-time Parks and Recreation position, and “...the rest is for public safety – police, fire and public works,” said Paulhus. “There’s not a whole lot in there, when you get to it.”
The town is currently dealing with four union contracts and combined wages and benefits drives about 86% of this budget, Paulhus added.
The Board of Education (BOE) side of the budget request totals $31,496,142 and incorporates an increase of 4.67% in “new money;” with 3.94% of that new money required to fund existing positions and programs, explained the district’s Finance and Personnel Director, Donald Winnicki.
Health care is a major contributor to new BOE costs, as are changes in the teacher’s contract and other contractual increases. In addition, the schools budget calls for adding two instructional coaches for math and language arts, serving mainly grades K-5 (with some additional assistance to teachers in grades 6-8). A certified school librarian, replacing a library paraprofessional position, is requested for Jerome Harrison Elementary School and an additional special education paraprofessional is needed at Jerome Harrison as well.
The two new coaching positions would help align math and language arts teaching with Common Core Standards, using “embedded professional” services, said Winnicki.
“Instead of pulling people out of the classroom and training outside of the classroom and going back to practice what they’ve learned, (the) coaches are in the classroom with teachers (and) helping in terms of developing lessons, and really helping teachers hone their craft inside of the classroom,” he said.
The school board also presented a five-year capital expense plan to the council.
Paulhus said the council has options when considering both municipal and school capital expense requests, which combined total about $1.9 million. Currently, $200,000 is left in existing municipal budget to put toward the total $400,000 in new capital requirements sought by the police and fire departments. Additionally, $1 million in the bond balance from the North Branford Intermediate School project can be employed to assist with BOE, police, fire, public works and general government capital needs. Additional monies, such as an anticipated $80,000 in state money to aid with town road repairs, are also included in the budget package as ways to offset needed costs.