(Updated) Town Council Approves Budget at $130 Million on Party-Line Vote

Residents in the community are in line for a slight decrease in taxes in 2013-14 after the Southington Town Council voted to stand by the recommended budget of $129.33 budget recommended the town’s finance board earlier this year, but not before some heated discussion by members of the council.

The budget approved Monday evening would mean a reduction in taxes of 0.02 mills in the upcoming year and would represent a decrease of $4 to the average taxpayer, officials said.

The council was unanimous on a budget for general government, voting to approve a $45.1 million, but Democrats expressed concerns regarding funding for the Board of Education and made several efforts to increase education funding before it as eventually passed along party-line vote as presented by the Board of Finance.

“The Board of Education made a diligent effort to reduce all costs,” said Minority Leader Christopher Palmieri. “In our economic reference group, Southington ranks 20th of 24 towns in average pupil spending.  Spending is at $13,600 (per pupil), while Southington is only at $12,200 (per pupil).”

“We are not asking for a lot. We looked to compromise, asking that just $300,000 be restored,” he said. “That represents less than $14 a year for the average taxpayer. The future of Southington is worth it.”

Palmieri, John Barry and Dawn Miceli all voted to have the $300,000 restored.

Republican council members, however, stood fast in their support of the $84.23 million recommendation by the finance board – a $1.1 million reduction from what was first presented by the Southington Board of Education – and expressed that other changes including a $550,000 reduction in the Self Insurance Fund budget would help provide additional funds for the Board of Education already.

Joseph Labieniec, chairman of the Self Insurance Committee and vice chairman of the Board of Finance, told the council Monday that the Self Insurance Committee reached a consensus earlier this month by 4-3 vote to reduce the fund in 2013-14 from 22.4 million to 21.85 million based on more recent numbers.

The reduction represents a 6.5-percent increase over the current budget, down from 9-percent as originally presented, and is based on recent figures provided by Anthem and the fact that the town is in a much better position projection-wise than it had been in December.

Councilwoman Cheryl Lounsbury said much of this savings, approximately $300,000, will be returned to the Board of Education as they have 70-percent of all employees in town.

“It’s a very difficult decision, but overall numbers factor into it as well,” Lounsbury said. “First, our town’s school enrollment is declining and second, the state mandates says that each year, we cannot reduce funding below the previous year’s total. There is extra money available, anywhere from $400,000 to $500,000, that they will be receiving back in this budget.”

Members of the audience were split on the decision as well, speaking during a public comment section after and expressing both favor and opposition to the council’s decision.

Pamela DePaolo, owner of DePaolo Furniture on Center Street, said businesses are continuing to struggle to make ends meet and praised the decision, saying it’s what residents need and further calling the decision a “wise one” in saying that could save businesses from having to cut staffing in order to pay for additional tax increases in the upcoming year.

But Angelina Santa Maria, emotional as she reached the podium, said the money cut from the Board of Education budget represents money that could have been spent in important ways, including addressing mental health needs and preventing tragedies such as the Sandy Hook shootings.

In Other Notes...

The council on Monday also passed the sewer budget at $5.4 million and the Animal Control budget at $220,000 by unanimous vote, but were again split along party lines in approving a $9.13 million capital plan for the upcoming year.

Council Democrats expressed opposition, saying the measure would bond the projects instead of paying for them in cash and would serve to create debt on the backs of future taxpayers.

“Going forward, the nine of us have to look at five-years, 10-years down the road,” Barry said. “We are anticipating an additional $50 million in capital spending to be bonded. I’d rather pay in cash; I’ve sat on this council as we criticized the state for bonding and now we are doing the same. It’s a shell game.”

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