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02/21/2017 01:30 PMFaced with uncertain funding from the state, the Town of Clinton is seeking a 4.38 percent increase in its 2017-’18 budget. The total proposed operating budget for the Town of Clinton for 2017-’18 is $18,050,792, with a requested increase of $757,892.
First Selectman Bruce Farmer did not return calls or an email for comment on the budget proposal and the drivers for the proposed spending increases, but the town has posted minutes of the meeting at which the proposal was adopted. The following highlights are sourced from those minutes.
The first selectman’s salary will not increase; general supplies for the selectman were reduced by $2,000.
In the Finance Department, the treasurer’s stipend was reduced to $1,000 and the IT/Technologies line was reduced by $1,400 to $18,600.
The budget for the library remained flat at $751,000.
Economic Development Commission: Cut were suggested, but the budget remained at $7,250.
Zoning Board of Appeals and Inland Wetlands and Planning & Zoning commissions will see reductions to the part-time intern and training line.
For the Police Department budget of $2,691,302, the canine program will be cut for a reduction of $2,300; the police chief’s salary remains flat. The Police Department will remain at 26 officers; the 27th position will not be filled for a full-time salary reduction of $53,799 and a reduction of $6,000 from uniform expense.
For Public Works, funding for the position of assistant director was approved for only the second half of the year, reducing full-time salaries to $924,811 for a budget of $1,845,456.
Two months ago, Governor Dannel Malloy proposed cutting $20 million in education funding to reduce the state budget deficit and redirect funds to disadvantaged schools. For Clinton, that means a proposed change from more than $6 million in education cost sharing grants in 2017 to less than $1 million for 2018. Through the governor’s proposal, towns may also for the first time be required to fund one-third of their teachers’ pensions.
The Board of Education has proposed a 3.44 percent increase for 2017-’18. The Board of Finance will begin budget workshops on the town and schools budgets on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the Green Room at Town Hall.