Some cut items back in budget

KENT — A public hearing on the town’s proposed budget for fiscal 2010-11 has been scheduled for Friday, May 7, at 8 p.m. at Town Hall.

A town meeting for residents to vote on the proposed budget is scheduled for Friday, May 21 at 8 p.m. at Town Hall.

The proposed budget for the coming fiscal year (which begins July 1), as it stands in the first week of April, is $2,645,477,  a 1.4-percent increase over this year’s budget.

The Board of Selectmen voted at a budget workshop in March to reinstate several items that had previously been cut from the budget, according to First Selectman Bruce Adams.

A 10-percent salary decrease to five Town Hall department assistants has been taken out of the budget, and the transfer station attendant position has been reinstated.

“For the past two weeks while the transfer station manager was away on vacation, I spent some time at the station,� Adams said. “I saw firsthand that the facility can not be operated safely and efficiently by one person.

“As for the department assistants, I had a meeting with each person who serves as the head of a Town Hall department. Each one of them made it loud and clear that each of the assistants has special qualifications and skills to make their departments  run efficiently. Each department leader suggested rescinding the cuts.â€�

Also reinstated to the proposed budget is the assistant to the town treasurer, which was cut at an earlier budget workshop.

“The town treasurer is a very important office in town,� Adams said. “The position handles the financial business of the town. Town Treasurer Barbara Herbst spoke to the board at some length and said there will be a lot of grant applications she will be having to deal with and quite a few other things where she will need an assistant.�

As for road maintenance, Adams said Kent’s roads are in good shape.

“We have a good highway foreman who manages his crew and budget extremely well,� Adams said. “The roads are in as good shape as can be. There will be no large additions to the upcoming budget for any repairs at all.�

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