Uptick in town spending in Cornwall

CORNWALL — Receiving 2019-20 budget proposals from both the Board of Selectmen and Board of Education, the Cornwall Board of Finance voted to accept the proposals as presented at their meeting on Thursday, March 21.

The selectmen’s preliminary budget shows a requested total of $2,066,500, an increase of $64,473, or 3.22 percent, over the current budget of $2,002,027.  

The preliminary budget submitted by the Board of Education for Cornwall Consolidated School found potential savings, proposing expenditures of a total of $3,978,263, down by .5 percent from the current budget of $3,998,291.

Reporting an expected increase of slightly less than 1 percent (.83 percent) in the town’s 2018 Grand List of taxable property, Finance Officer Barbara Herbst told the board that the mill rate would be expected to remain the same, based on the expense proposals. 

Increases in the selectmen’s budget include a rise in insurance costs and waste disposal fees, and increases in funding for the Cornwall Child Care Center, the public library and the historical society.

First Selectman Gordon Ridgway reported that bids will be received in May for maintenance work at the West Cornwall firehouse. The coming year will also see repair of the Hollenbeck culvert, what he described as “the most decrepit on the town’s bridge repair list.” That project, to be completed before the end of this year’s building season, will use up the remainder of the state grant funding.

The education budget was received by the finance board at the meeting, with education board Chair Catherine Tatge present for questions, but there were only requests for a few clarifications.

A public hearing on the proposed 2019-20 town budgets is scheduled for Friday, April 26, at Cornwall Consolidate School, beginning at 7:30 p.m.  

The annual town meeting on the budget will be held on Friday, May 24, at Cornwall Consolidated School, beginning at 7:30 p.m.