CORNWALL — It was a very small crowd, by Cornwall standards, that attended the April 23 public hearing on proposed town and school budgets for 2010-11. Eleven people (and nearly all of them members of local boards), took a look at overall spending that will likely produce a small tax increase.
Finance board Chairman Ralph Gold began by praising the consistent efforts of both boards — the selectmen and school board — to hold the line on spending. Still, those efforts might not be enough to make up for increases in the town’s share of the regional education budget and for possible cuts in state aid.
At press time for The Lakeville Journal, even though the legislature was making headway on both the 2010 and 2011 budgets, there was no word on whether that state aid would be available this year. It’s not unusual for those numbers to come in after local budgets are finalized. However, before budget proposals go to a town meeting vote, the state usually provides firm numbers for towns to work with. That may or may not happen this year.
As of this week, the Region One School District Central Office was still in the middle of ongoing negotiations aimed at reducing the premium on the health insurance plan shared by the many Litchfield County towns, for both school and town employees. Just a few months ago, Cornwall was braced for a premium increase of more than 30 percent. Current budget proposals call for a 10-percent rise.
At the time of last week’s public hearing, the selectmen were proposing a $1.614 million spending plan that is 1.8 percent higher than this year’s. The new fiscal year begins July 1.
First Selectman Gordon Ridgway summed up the board’s philosophy by saying, “We tried to maintain essential town services, preserving what’s important to people while realizing the reality of tough economic times.�
Most town employees received 2-percent raises.
The highway department’s efforts to use new products and energy-saving measures, such as heating with used oil, will help hold costs down into the future. This past winter’s mild levels of precipation left the snow removal line item relatively intact, a savings of nearly $30,000.
The Cornwall Library and Cornwall Child Center were given the small increases they requested.
“We recognized the family need related to the child center, and the increased use at the library. Both are good overall for the town,� Ridgway said.
If the spending plan is approved, the library will get an additional $2,500, bumping the town’s contribution to its budget to $30,500. The child center asked for an extra $2,000, giving it a total of $28,000 from the town in the coming year.
What won’t see a large requested increase is the Social Services office, which is dealing with a large increase in need. Ridgway said most needs, such as food, rent and heat assistance, were met — helped greatly with $20,000 in private donations.
The registrars’ office is poised to get an increase of $570 — more than 8 percent — in anticipation of primary races later this year for elections for state offices.
The school budget was not explored in great detail at the hearing. There is little to debate, with primarily contractual increases accounting for a 2.06-percent increase of more than $48,000, to $2.4 million.
Cornwall has a higher percentage of students at the high school than in the past, accounting for a 3.72 percent or $52,453 increase.The six towns in the district shares the costs of running the high school; costs are assessed on a per-student basis. The number of students is counted in October. The six towns are Cornwall, Sharon, Salisbury, Falls Village, North Canaan and Kent.
It was noted that noncertified staff at Cornwall Consolidated School requested a wage freeze.
Finance board alternate Jack Preston advocated for an increase in the town’s $1,000 contribution to the Northwest Corner Chore Service. He said Cornwall has the second highest number of clients who use the service, but the town gives the least. He also noted that the service employs many Cornwall residents.
Ridgway said the $1,000 was the amount requested by the Chore Service. Preston said they could use the money, but didn’t want to put more burden on towns.
The finance board will meet again on May 20, when a final proposal for the combined plans will be approved and sent to a vote at a town meeting on Friday, May 21, at 7:30 p.m. at Cornwall Consolidated School. The board will convene after the town meeting to set a new mill rate.
