Fast Facts: Finance Board Approves Budget with 0.02 Mill Decrease

The Southington Board of Finance on Wednesday sent their budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year to the Town Council after a unanimous vote.

According to figures, the $130 million budget would represent an increase in spending while changes to revenue would actuall allow the town to reduce the mill rate from 27.48 mills to 27.46.

Finance Chairman John Leary and Vice-Chairman Joseph Labieniec each said there were numerous factors that led to changes and reductions in the 2013-14 fiscal year budget proposals. Here’s a look at just a few of the items and changes by the Board of Finance:

• The town budget was reduced by $218,000 when compared to the current fiscal year to $45.1 million.
• A little more than $500,000 in capital projects, three in all, were removed and will be paid for using alternative methods such as contingency from the current budget.
• A sinking fund was established to incorporate $170,000 annually to pay for the mandated revaluation process every five years. Previously, it was done over two years and would have cost $280,000 in 2013-14.

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• $100,000 in all was cut from the police and fire overtime with a board consensus that the contingency fund could address issues without effecting public safety operations.
• The Board of Education proposal was reduced by $1.1 million to a total of $84.23 million. It would represent an increase of $1.8 million over the current fiscal year.
• The Animal Control budget was tentatively set at $220,000 and the sewer fund set at $5.05 million. Both are approved separate from the general government budget.
• Changes in tax liabilities for unpaid taxes from 2.3 percent to 2.1 percent and increases in the grand list helped provide additional revenue, offsetting the proposed increase in spending without the need to increase the mill rate.

The Board of Finance proposal will now go to the Southington Town Council and council members will be responsible for setting a final budget. The council has established a public hearing on the budget for April 22 at 7 p.m. in the DePaolo Middle School auditorium.

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