Politics & Government

Budget Increases Go Beyond Education

Besides the increase in the education budget, other Town boards asking for increases, too.

 

As budget talks wind down, there is more for taxpayers to be concerned about than the 4.79% education increase.

 Very early Monday morning, before the Pulaski Day Parade, Selectman Paul Szatkowski said, “It has been an interesting budget year."

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For the past couple of years the town budgets have worked with a zero increase, but this year, there are increases in union contracts.  Szatkowski said that 90% of the increases are increased wages and benefits.   "If we start cutting back, it will be cutting back services,” he said.

 But Szatkowski said that the education budget was only partially responsible for town budget increases. “You have some other things to consider seriously. Of the first importance are the roads. They are in terrible condition. Previous administrations didn't spend the money on them.”

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 In the past, asphalt was bought by the ton, Szatkowski said. That has changed now and Szatkowski said the cost of asphalt has doubled, yet the budget has remained the same. “Now we are looking at bonding some of these things, because money is so cheap now.”

 The selectman said that the big issue that the town faces is that tax payers have very little discretionary income, and raising taxes will be difficult. “Unemployment is still a problem, and gas prices are so high,” he added.

 Also early on Monday, Chairman of the Board of Finance, Bill Kingston, addressed some questions about the budget increases, bonding and the Grand List.

Beginning with the education costs, Kingston said, “I sincerely believe this is a stauts quo budget. Every $60,000 to 70,000 that we cut out of the education budget would be the loss of a teacher, which would reflect on our quality of education. People are now coming to Bethel for education where 20 years ago, they were leaving because of the education. I think that education has an impact our real estate values, and I want to live in a town that has a good educational system. I would hate to see it go it the other direction. ”

 However, Kingston admitted that there were other concerns to be considered. “We looked at the revenue side before the budget presentations. Our grand list has grown slightly but not significantly, so any increases in the budget will increase property taxes.”

 Kingston said that the Department of Education makes up approximately 70% of the Town Budget but there were other cost considerations that needed to be addressed. According to Kingston, some of the fire trucks need to be replaced and can cost between $600,000 and $900,000.

 “We will probably bond the firetrucks and the roads, but you have to be cognizant of previous bonding. We need a new police station, and at least two of the five schools need extensive renovations. But you can't let bonding get so large it effects the credit rating, and you have to watch your line items to make sure it doesn't increase your budget,” Kingston said.

 Kingston said, “I think the Board of Finance has some really hard decisions. This is not an easy year. Next Monday we start our deliberations.”

Following the deliberations will be the Public Hearings, and following that, the Board of Finance will make their final cuts before presenting the budget to the public. “I want to avoid a lot of referendums, you can start to get into arbitraty cuts,” Kingston said, adding, “I love the idea that the final say is a referendum.”

 

First Selectman Matthew Knickerbocker could not be reached to comment. 


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