Community Corner

Probate Books Will No Longer Be Southington's Responsibility

Town Manager Garry Brumback said Wednesday that neither Southington nor Cheshire would handle probate accounting once the fiscal year ends.

When the Board of Finance was faced with appropriations for the probate court a month ago, members opposed them saying that with the court no longer located in Southington, the accounting should not be the town’s responsibility.

They got their wish.

Town Manager Garry Brumback told the board Wednesday night that at the end of the fiscal year, the Cheshire-Southington probate court would be responsible for taking on their own accounting and finances. The agreement was reached after communication between Brumback, Cheshire Town Manager Michael Milone and Probabte Judge Matt Jalowiec late last month.

“At the end of the fiscal year, the judge will be responsible to pay (his) own bills,” Brumback said. “It will be neither the responsibility of Southington nor Cheshire…it would be more cumbersome to move now. It’s cleaner, easier to break at the end of fiscal year.”

The issue of who was handling the books first came to light when the board questioned the need for appropriations . The board learning that even after a court decision relocated the court to Cheshire in December 2010, the maintained the financial accounting aspect of the court.

Southington Finance Director Emilia Portelinha maintained that it was just simple tasks, but finance board member John Moise said it put additional pressure on an already overworked department and should not be Southington’s responsibility.

“It makes sense that if the court is housed in one place, the books should be handled there too,” Moise said. “I think the move should be sooner.”

Brumback said all parties benefit from waiting until the end of the fiscal year, however, and that would be the most logical time for a relocation of the books. At that time, the court itself will handle the books, he said.

Following the move late last year, former Southington Town Manager John Weichsel approached Cheshire but the town declined to take on the responsibility and cited state statutes as the reason why. Southington reluctantly agreed at that time to keep the responsibilities, not knowing the statute said Brumback.

“When Southington first began doing the books, the court was here and we were doing as a courtesy,” Brumback said. “We’ve reviewed the statutes since this issue came out and that responsibility will soon fall to the court as stated under state statute.”


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