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05/26/2020 12:00 AMThe East Haven Town Council adopted a town budget of $93,514,037, an increase of $1,481,438 or 1.61 percent resulting in a 34.25 mill rate, up 1.83 mills or 5.3 percent on May 21.
“The budget process this year was a first of its kind due to COVID-19,” said Mayor Joe Carfora. “The governor’s executive orders allowed the municipalities to bypass the town’s charter budget process and execute a much quicker, less cumbersome process. However, I wanted to follow our town’s charter and have the input of our Board of Finance, Town Council, and the residents.
“During this time of the COVID-19 virus, our world came to a standstill, but our budget is something that we will live with beyond the COVID-19 virus,” said Carfora. “I wanted to do everything in my power to follow the traditional process and we did.”
Budget workshops will held virtually with residents invited to attend online or via teleconference. Carfora presented a State of the Town and Budget Address online on May 6 and public hearings were held for both the Board of Education and general government budgets on May 19 and 20.
Carfora reduced departmental increase requests by $5.8 million, including nearly $2 million reduction from the requested Board of Education (BOE) budget, which was kept flat at $47,994,271. Of Carfora’s recommended budget of $93.5 million budget, 51 percent is accounted for by the BOE, followed by town employees’ wages and contractual obligations (21 percent), insurance and benefits (15 percent), additional expenses (8 percent), debt services (4 percent), and utilities (1 percent).
“The cuts are significant and across the board, but they are responsible and will not affect services,” Carfora said. “The budget being presented is something I am proud of.”
Going into the budget process, Carfora said he had hoped to avoid a mill rate increase, but in order to maintain services, fulfill contractual obligations, and as a result of finding an unstable situation in the town’s finances, including “inheriting some massive court cases,” he announced a 1.86 mill increase to bring the town’s mill rate to 34.28; the Town Council revised that to 34.25, a 1.83 mill increase.
“This budget reflects a collaboration between departments and my administration. We worked together to make the decisions on what areas can be trimmed and areas that could not be changed,” said Carfora. “The result is a budget that is the first in many steps that will put our town on track for fiscal stability.”
Despite having to reduce requested increases across the board, Carfora reported that the budget still contains additional positions for both the Police and Fire departments, as well as two school resource officers, who will be posted at the middle school and high school.
The Schools Respond
“The BOE is grateful for the town’s partnership and decision to fund the safety resources officers in the EHPD budget,” said BOE Chair Michele DeLucia. “This opportunity will further enable us to better utilize our current security staff and expand security presence at all our schools.”
Though the mayor cut $1,790,145 from the requested BOE budget, DeLucia and Superintendent of Schools Erica Forti said the BOE understands the reasoning behind the cuts and will continue to look to strengthen the bridge between the town and school system.
“Mayor Carfora was very supportive upon being elected and reached out to the Board of Education to seek information as to what was needed to start making bigger strides in the district,” said DeLucia. “The BOE is understanding given the mayor’s recent address to the town a few weeks ago, in which he clearly expressed the many financial challenges and obstacles the town has been faced with and the difficult decisions that they need to make.”
Of the 3.7 percent requested increase that was not adopted in the BOE budget, 2.1 percent was allocated for several new positions to support the academic and social needs of students. These positions included teachers, certified interventionists, academic coaches, and social workers.
“The town’s proposed budget will impact the number of new staff that we will be able to hire,” said Forti. “However, we will continue to seek grant funds and other creative ways to fund some of the key positions such as the interventionists to ensure we have the internal staffing capacity to close academic skill and achievement gaps.”
Forti noted that the original request was for $49,784,416, a $1,790,144 or 3.7 percent increase, was prepared before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the town saw an increase in costs associated with COVID-19, the school system had some savings in areas such as spring sports and savings in transportation costs based on the recent contract addendum driven by a governor’s executive order.
“The budget was put together in January, prior to the pandemic and uncertain times we are experiencing today,” said Forti. “In January, it could not have predicted how the COVID-19 pandemic would impact our current fiscal budget and ability to purchase resources, materials, supplies, and equipment this year that can be cut from the 2020-’21 budget to meet the town’s allocation.”
Forti and the BOE will continue to monitor the budget as well as other opportunities for funding such as grants and funds from the CARES Act.
“Regardless of the resulting allocation for 2020-’21, we remain confident that the BOE is committed to the equitable allocation of resources, executing fiscal responsibility, and committed to being moral stewards of the taxpayer’s funds to ensure students are receiving the best possible education centered on student learning and growth,” said DeLucia.
Carfora commended the hard work of the BOE, not only on the budget, but in adapting to and implementing virtual learning.
On the town side of the budget, Carfora found cost-savings in several ways, such as combining positions where possible, updating technology and the phone systems at Town Hall, and identifying all costs associated with the COVID-19 response in order to apply for reimbursement. Costs associated with COVID-19 have included the construction of plexiglass guards to limit contact with the public and Town Hall employees in all Town Hall departments; substantial signage throughout Town Hall, public spaces, and the Town Beach; deep cleaning of town buildings; and added supplies such as personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitizers, and electrostatic disinfection gun.
“These costs will not go away much like the COVID-19 virus,” said Carfora. “They are now part of the ‘new normal,’ which will be absorbed into this budget and future ones.
“Like many Americans, our residents are worried about staying healthy, keeping our local businesses open and sustainable, and not losing the sense of community they cherish in East Haven,” added Carfora. “The goal moving forward is to be available to help our businesses get the approvals they need in a timely fashion to reopen such as inspections, PPE, and clear guidance on the ever-changing requirements being asked of them. Once we can safely come together again, there are activities planned such as drive-in movie nights and the farmers market. Together with patience and time, East Haven will come out this stronger as a community.”