Officials hope to see budget pass on first try

WINSTED — When Laurel City voters gather in The Gilbert School auditorium Monday, May 5, for the town’s annual budget meeting, many will be hoping to avoid further cuts to the proposed school budget, which stands at $20.6 million following a $700,000 cut by the Winchester Board of Selectmen. But that’s just one of numerous issues facing the school system.

Board of Education Chairman Rose Molinelli said Wednesday that the job of allocating funds within the school budget isn’t done yet, because the school board has not been able to reach an agreement with the semi-private Gilbert School regarding Gilbert’s proposed $6.2-million operating budget. The issue is headed for binding arbitration next month, which means the overall town budget of $32.6 million could be finalized before an agreement is reached on how to spend the money.

"Gilbert has proposed what we felt was an exorbitant price for the alternate school," Molinelli said, referring to the Joy D. Rice School, which provides alternate education to special-needs students. "We saw it as something that we can’t afford at this time and the superintendent was charged with trying to see what else could be done."

Gilbert’s price tag for operating the alternate program, formerly housed in a separate building under the Winchester school board’s authority, was more than $235,000, Molinelli noted. The program is expected to include about 10 students in the 2008-09 school year.

"I think it’s a tough position for everyone," Molinelli said. "The costs of education are going up tremendously. Part of it has to do with teachers’ salaries and part of it is because of electricity, fuel and the cost of books. Everything is going up and it’s going up for everyone. We can’t fault Gilbert or Winchester on those items because they are real costs."

Molinelli said Winsted’s K-8 schools have suffered for years because Gilbert’s contract with the town requires either approval of the school’s proposed budget each year or binding arbitration. "Gilbert has been taking care of its needs while Winchester has been taking away, little by little, over the years," the chairman said. "Last year was the first time we saw a little bit of hope."

A proposed school budget of $20,604,222 for the coming year represents a 4.5-percent increase over the current budget. The overall proposed budget of $32,650,067 represents a 2-percent increase over the current year.

Winchester Taxpayers Association President David LaPointe said Wednesday that he does not support an increase in the budget this year.

"We’re hoping people show up at the town meeting and voice their opinions," he said. "We can’t support the budget as it is. Once again, this is an increase to the taxpayers. If you’re in business, you’re shedding things and tightening your belt, and the selectmen said they were going to run the town like a business."

LaPointe noted that a discussion of possible cuts to the town’s Public Works Department quickly lost traction during selectmen’s budget meetings.

"They hemmed and hawed about it and the Democrats said they were against it," he said. "We’re going to come out with our own plan and we’re going to be accountable to the taxpayers."

Selectman David Cappabianca countered LaPointe’s contention that the budget has grown too large.

"I think it’s way too lean," he said. "I also don’t think there’s anything we can do about that. We are in a borderline financial crisis in this town and if we don’t get some revenue increases soon we’re going to be in some real serious trouble."

Despite a sense that the budget doesn’t do enough for the town, Cappabianca said it would be fruitless to seek increases.

"I certainly would encourage people to vote for the budget," he said. "If it fails at referendum we’re looking at some serious cutbacks — laying off employees and other cuts. It goes dramatically downhill from here."

Molinelli, who has lobbied for increases in the past, agreed that approving the budget on the first vote will be important.

"That’s the critical piece for us — to get it passed the first time," she said. "If that doesn’t happen, it truly sets us back, and it sets other entities back. All we’re looking for is a small step forward this year."