Town budget in final stage for vote

SALISBURY — Townspeople discussed the component parts of the town’s 2010-11 budget plans at a public hearing Monday, April 26, at Town Hall.

Total spending, including town government, Salisbury Central School (SCS) and Salisbury’s share of the Region One School District budget, comes to $12,542,658, an increase of $118,306, or .95 percent over the 2009-10 fiscal year.

Board of Finance Chairman Bill Willis said if the the board voted the next evening to present the budgets for a vote at the annual town budget meeting May 19 (a likely scenario), the mill rate would probably rise from the current 9.3 to 9.5, which represents a tax increase of 2.2 percent.

A mill represents $1 in tax for every $1,000 of assessed property value. A 15-mill tax rate would translate into a tax bill of $1,500 for the owner of a home assessed at $100,000.

Salisbury Central

SCS Principal Chris Butwill went through the school budget, noting that savings were realized by offering an early retirement incentive deal for veteran teachers (three accepted); keeping the number of classroom teachers at 22; not adding additional instruction in Spanish; not filling a secretarial position in the school’s main office; significant savings on heating oil; and the utilization of a high-deductible health-care plan.

Asked the cost per pupil at the school, Butwill gave the figure of $17,129 annually.

Asked about projected enrollment, Butwill said that contrary to expectations of a decline in new students, enrollment has remained fairly flat, between 310 and 320 students. (Currently SCS has 312 students, he added.)

The SCS budget presentation has new aspects. Maintenance and operating costs for the upper and lower buildings are now listed separately, for example, and there is more detail in the categories.

This can result in some odd-looking lines, such as line 78, the social studies line under the category “Supplies-Educational.� That line indicates to the casual reader that social studies went from $32,770 worth of educational supplies in 2009-10 to $750 in the 2010-11 budget.

Butwill explained that this reflects the new accounting practice; the larger figure represents 2009-10 spending for several departments, placed in the social studies line for convenience.

“We love social studies,� he said with a grin.

Board of Education Chairman Roger Rawlings said, “We got lucky with high school enrollment [which means the town’s share of the Region One budget is low]. We didn’t have to hire a teacher. We were able to move our oil surplus ahead [unspent funds for heating oil].�

He warned: “I’m not sure we can do this again next year.�

The bottom line for SCS: A total of $4,626,160, up $21,707 or .47 percent. Salisbury’s Region One tab is $3,022,681, down $17.718, for a decrease of .58 percent.

Total education spending for 2010-11 is $7,648,841, an increase of $3,989, or .05 percent.

Town government

First Selectman Curtis Rand then took over to present the municipal spending plan, but almost immediately had to turn the meeting back over to Willis for the annual squabble over the $10,000 “merit pay� for the first selectman, which is in the Board of Finance’s budget and disbursed at their discretion.

Willis explained: “We want to see that person in the job for a year, a year and a half� before releasing the extra money. The first selectman’s salary for 2010-11 is $65,316, which includes the 3-percent pay raise given to all town employees. Rand said he was going to give his raise back to the town.

Wendy Hamilton said the phrase “merit pay� is troublesome. “‘Merit’ to an elected official is getting re-elected.�

And Len Stewart said, “It seems to me you’ve set yourselves as a board in judgment of someone the public has elected. You haven’t given us any idea of what goes into it. It has to be more open so people understand the process� by which the Board of Finance decides if the first selectman’s performance warrants the extra pay.

Willis agreed to look at the process for the future.

Rand then went through the town budget, stopping at high points such as the Planning and Zoning Commission’s (P&Z) request for $65,000 to hire a consultant to help implement reforms suggested by consultant Donald Poland.

The selectmen, rather reluctantly, included the $65,000 in a draft budget presented to the Board of Finance on April 13. (The holdover amount for a P&Z consultant was $4,000; the requested increase was for $61,000, for a total of $65,000.)

Rand said the selectmen thought the $65,000 figure “might be a bit much;�the Board of Finance asked the selectmen to trim their budget by $20,000, which came out of the P&Z request.

Rand said if the commission finds it needs to come back to the town for additional consulting funds, “that’s completely acceptable.�

Regarding Planning and Zoning, and concerns that an antiquated land use system could result in costly litigation, Rand said, “We’ve been told over and over that we need to do something, and we’re doing it.�

The selectmen also added $25,000 for a housing coordinator, in anticipation of a recommendation from the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.

The bottom line for town government spending in 2010-11: A total of $4,893,817, which includes an increase of $114,317, or 2.3 percent.

The Region One referendum is Tuesday, May 4; voting is at Town Hall from noon to 8 p.m.

The annual town budget meeting is Wednesday, May 19, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

Latest News

Water main cleaning in North Canaan

NORTH CANAAN – Aquarion Water Company today announced a water main cleaning project in the company’s North Canaan system. The project is scheduled to take place from Monday, April 1 through Tuesday, April 16, and is being undertaken to ensure customers in North Canaan continue to receive the highest quality water.

The cleaning for April 1 and April 4 (subject to change) will take place on the following streets:

Keep ReadingShow less
Tuning up two passions under one roof

The Webb Family in the workshop. From left: Phyllis, Dale, Ben and Josh Webb, and project manager Hannah Schiffer.

Natalia Zukerman

Magic Fluke Ukulele Shop and True Wheels Bicycle Shop are not only under the same roof in a beautiful solar powered building on Route 7 in Sheffield, but they are also both run by the Webb family, telling a tale of familial passion, innovation and a steadfast commitment to sustainability.

In the late ‘90s, Dale Webb was working in engineering and product design at a corporate job. “I took up instrument manufacturing as a fun challenge,” said Dale. After an exhibit at The National Association of Music Merchants in Anaheim, California, in 1999, The Magic Fluke company was born. “We were casting finger boards and gluing these things together in our basement in New Hartford and it just took off,” Dale explained. “It was really a wild ride, it kind of had a life of its own.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert Cray’s soulful blues coming to Infinity Hall

Robert Cray

Photo provided

Blues legend Robert Cray will be bringing his stinging, funky guitar and soulful singing to Infinity Hall Norfolk on Friday, March 29.

A five-time Grammy winner, Cray has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and earned The Americana Music Awards Lifetime Achievement for Performance. He has played with blues and rock icons including Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and many more.

Keep ReadingShow less