Voters say no to budget again

NAUGATUCK — For the second time in as many referendums voters turned out to voice their displeasure with the 2014-15 budget.

Voters overwhelmingly rejected the adopted municipal and school budgets at a referendum Tuesday.

“I think government has this idea of spending more money, getting more money, and taxing more money and we have less results. We as citizens have to put a stop to it,” resident Frank Ciccone said after voting Tuesday.

Karen Ciccone echoed her husband’s statements, saying people don’t have as much money to spend these days.

“[The government] spends money they don’t have and they expect the taxpayers to automatically hand over their paychecks. I took a cut in my pay per hour and now I have no job. It’s hard on everybody,” Karen Ciccone said.

Approximately 20 percent of voters turned out, surpassing the 15 percent turnout required by the borough charter to validate the results.

The combined town and school budget was $113.6 million, an increase of roughly $2.89 million over the 2013-14 budget. The proposed municipal budget was $52.5 million, an increase of $1.26 million. The proposed school budget was $61.1 million, an increase of $1.62 million.

The spending plan would have lowered the mill rate 0.13 mills to 44.67 mills.

Residents were asked to vote separately on the municipal and school budgets and to cast their votes as either yes, no: too high or no: too low.

The municipal budget was rejected by more than 2,500 votes, with 2,983 people voting no: too high, 12 people voting no: too low and 317 votes in favor of the budget.

The school budget was rejected by a wide margin as well, as 2,837 people voted no: too high, 29 votes were cast for no: too low and 428 people voted yes.

Matthew Katra, who spearheaded the efforts to force both referendums through petitions, said one of the reasons the budget was defeated this time was that the Joint Boards of Finance and Mayor and Burgesses did not cut enough from the budget after the first referendum.

“They made a few token cuts, deferred some spending, and moved some spending into bonding. They didn’t do any cuts that would have any long-term savings for the taxpayers,” Katra said. “Hopefully they listen this time.”

Borough officials cut about $1.43 million in spending overall from the first proposed budget after it was defeated at a referendum in July.

Katra recommended making more cuts to the Board of Education’s budget and the Hop Brook Golf Course.

Mayor Robert Mezzo said he was not surprised the budgets were rejected.

“Once the process is set in motion, it is almost statistically assured that the budget would be rejected unless the percentage threshold is not met. The odds only increase when there is organized opposition,” Mezzo said.

Mezzo said revising the budget will be difficult since the borough has already made so many cuts.

“Cuts will have to be made, and I am sure there will be reductions to the education budget. The referendum requires it and some board members will be content to make blanket cuts and let the Board of Education figure out the rest. I was being completely honest when I said there are not more cuts to be made that would have any significant impact on reducing taxes or cutting spending. We can not default on health care premiums, debt payments or pension obligations. We are down numerous positions and have eliminated two departments. Public safety staffing is governed by contracts,” Mezzo said.

Mezzo expressed concerns that since there isn’t much the borough can cut, the next budget proposal would likely head to a third referendum.

The lack of a budget has left the tax collector’s office in limbo.

According to Tax Collector Jim Goggin the next step for the borough’s taxes is unclear at the moment. Since the borough does not have a set mill rate for the 2014-15 fiscal year it has been unable to send out personal property or car tax bills.

Goggin said he would recommend the borough send out personal property tax bills at an estimated tax rate and wait until the budget has been accepted to send out the car tax bills.

However, the final decision will be left up to the mayor’s office.

The joint boards is scheduled to meet Thursday night to revise the budget. A public hearing on the revised budget is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 21 at City Hill Middle School. The joints boards will adopt a new budget Oct. 28.

At that point citizens could force the budget to a third referendum through another petition.