Officials propose third budget

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Naugatuck Board of Finance members Joseph Savarese, left, and Kimberly Kiernan look over the budget during a meeting of the Joint Boards of Finance and Mayor and Burgesses Oct. 16. –LUKE MARSHALL
Naugatuck Board of Finance members Joseph Savarese, left, and Kimberly Kiernan look over the budget during a meeting of the Joint Boards of Finance and Mayor and Burgesses Oct. 16. –LUKE MARSHALL

NAUGATUCK — Borough officials went back to the budget drawing board last week after the 2014-15 spending plan was rejected at a referendum for a second time.

After hours of debate Thursday night, the Joint Boards of Finance and Mayor and Burgesses cut $679,797 in spending overall from the municipal and school budgets that failed at an Oct. 14 referendum.

The third budget proposal is $112.9 million. The spending plan represents an increase of roughly $2.82 million over the 2013-14 budget. Under the plan, the proposed mill rate would be 44.34 mills — 0.33 mills less than the 2013-14 tax rate.

Although spending would increase, the mill rate would go down because revenue, including a little more than $1 million from the contingency fund, will offset the increase. A resident whose home is assessed at $150,000 would pay $70 less in taxes under the spending plan.

The boards cut $187,000 in spending from the Board of Education budget. The proposed school budget is $60.9 million.

Superintendent of Schools Sharon Locke proposed the spending cut to the board. She said the school board will be able to absorb the reduction due to additional savings from an early retirement incentive and in workers’ compensation. She said the board has concrete figures and will realize an additional $100,000 and $26,000 in savings from the retirement incentive and under workers’ compensation respectively.

“We’ve realized additional savings that are real savings in real time,” Locke told the board.

Locke added the board will also leave three positions vacant and place a spending freeze on instructional and office supplies to make up the rest.

Officials cut municipal spending by $492,797, bringing the municipal budget to approximately $52 million.

The largest cut — $60,413 — came from the public works department, bringing its budget to $4.5 million. This included removing $25,000 from regular payroll following the retirement of an employee and $4,600 for a flail mower.

The joint boards also cut $43,610 from the police department’s budget, bringing it down to $6.3 million. The boards cut $12,200 in part-time help, $9,117 for officer training and $2,114 from police officer equipment, which includes bullets.

Officials also cut $11,655 for DARE, a drug prevention program run by the department in borough schools, from the police budget. Medical supplies, police officer equipment and new firearms were also taken out of the police budget.

Deputy Mayor Tamath Rossi voiced her displeasure with the cuts, saying, even though they came on the recommendation of Police Chief Christopher Edson, she could not support them.

“I won’t support it. I’m sorry but I’m not going to put the residents and taxpayers at risk. I appreciate the chief is recommending these cuts, but it is being done because he is being forced to do it,” Rossi said. “It’s public safety, I can’t do it.”

Rossi also voted against the $16,900 cut to the fire department’s budget, which brought it to $3.97 million. The cut included deferring $12,000 for new protective clothing until next year.

A public hearing on the proposed budget is Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at City Hill Middle School, 641 City Hill St. The joint boards will meet Oct. 28 for final adoption of the budget. Once the budget is adopted it could be forced to a third referendum through petitions.