Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

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."

Latest News

Let's Hear It - September 17, 2026

Let's Hear It - September 17, 2026

This Week

As summer comes to an end and the days begin to get a little cooler, signs of fall are starting to appear all around us. The leaves are beginning to change, the evenings are getting shorter, and a new season of activities and traditions is just around the corner.

Keep ReadingShow less

$5,000

$5,000

Letters to the Editor - September 17, 2026

Letters to the Editor - September 17, 2026

Put $1M to work for housing affordability

If I had $1 million to improve housing affordability in Litchfield County, I would create a revolving Housing Opportunity Fund. Instead of spending the entire amount on one or two homes, I would use it to help local housing trusts acquire land or properties, provide down-payment assistance for qualified buyers, convert appropriate existing buildings into housing, and help cover some of the upfront costs that can prevent good housing projects from ever getting started.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Turning Back the Pages - September 17, 2026

125 years ago — September 1901

LIME ROCK — Matthew Patterson recently received a silver medal from the Canadian government as a token of his services during the Fenian raid in ‘71. The medal is suitably inscribed and is considerably heavier than a silver dollar. It depends from a silk tri-color and pin, and altogether makes a very neat souvenir.

Keep ReadingShow less
Voices from our community about the housing we need for a healthy, vibrant future

Jordan Seibert and Riley Bossi

Shelly Dinelle

There’s a reason people say, “It takes a village to raise a child.” To thrive, a child needs a safe, stable place to call home. That’s the bedrock for health, dignity, and the chance to build a bright future. What kind of “village” does it take to create these homes?

Motivated by compassion and a drive to make housing more accessible, it took the Foundation for Norfolk Living years of hard work to create ten affordable homes at Haystack Woods. The “village” turned out to be a patchwork of support that included financial help from the DOH, a construction mortgage through Northwest Community Bank, and a Community Development Block Grant to purchase the property and pay for the road and infrastructure. The result? Two- and three-bedroom homes reserved for first-time homebuyers earning 60-80% of Litchfield County’s median income, and selling for $159,000 to $261,000. The condominium homes are deed-restricted and net-zero thanks to energy-efficient construction, solar panels, and battery storage, meaning the homebuyers will have no energy costs! Curious? Just Google “Haystack Woods” to learn more. It’s a remarkable accomplishment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Selectmen back $113,000 request for new ambulance

FALLS VILLAGE — The Board of Selectmen approved a request from the Fire Commission for $113,000 toward a new ambulance scheduled for delivery in November.

The selectmen acted during their regular monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 14.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.