Town has reduced spending —but so has the state

NORTH CANAAN — Town and school budget proposals for 2011-12 will be presented at a public hearing April 26 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.It’s been a smooth process so far, with the boards of selectmen and education coming up with spending plans that bear no surprises or daunting increases. The selectmen’s budget for municipal government expenses is down considerably, thanks mainly to the release of a $125,000 annual payment for the 1991 school addition bond. There are lots of other ups and downs —many of those “ups” are in areas where hard work and commitment by many town employees and volunteers have paid off. For instance, recycling efforts at the transfer station have resulted in less waste to haul away and more recyclable materials that companies will pay the town for. Efforts to reduce energy costs at North Canaan Elementary School have also paid off. It has been a long time since the school did not have to struggle to cut a spending increase. They came in this year at just over a 1 percent decrease, and will save another 2.37 percent in the high school and regional services assessment. As for those energy savings, a heating system conversion is just the beginning of projects earmarked at the school, as well as Town Hall, and maybe other town buildings. Town residents will soon hear a presentation on a plan to use grant money to help pay for new windows and digital thermostats at the school, and for some work that will be done at Town Hall. Voters will be asked to consider the sum of the town and school budget — more than $6.5 million — at a town meeting set for May 10 at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall. (They will have already voted on the combined high school, central office and pupil services budget at a May 3 regionwide referendum.)The town meeting agenda will include consideration of the renewal of the resident state trooper contract. When the question came up two years ago, it sparked tremendous debate and a paper ballot vote. A plan by the state to phase out subsidies for the program caused a close look at the need for the program. It survived by a vote of 97 to 39.The subsidies have remained in place. But a nearly10 percent increase to the resident state trooper contract is part of the 2011-12 town budget proposal. What remains to be seen this budget season is where state revenues will go, or more to the point, how far they will be reduced. When budgets were being written, state Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-30) advised towns to expect about 80 percent of what was received last year. The latest prediction is 67 percent. So while spending may be on an even keel, income that doesn’t come from local tax dollars will take a big hit. How tax bills will be impacted depends on what the Board of Finance decides regarding a mill rate. A decision could be made as early as the May 11 meeting.