PROSPECT — Voters last week approved the town’s budget and borrowing money for road repairs with little to no opposition.
Both measures were overwhelmingly approved at a May 2 town meeting attended by about 60 people.
The nearly $8.64 million municipal budget for 2018-19 increases town spending by $185,984, or about 2.2 percent, over the current budget. Fixed costs are driving the increase, including a 2.75 percent wage increase for employees. The increases for salaries, Social Security and insurance total $212,478, according to officials. Other areas of the budget combined decreased.
Town Council Chairman Jeffrey Slapikas said Mayor Robert Chatfield and the council put a lot of time and effort into the budget. He said the increase stems from contractual increases, and the budget is sound.
“I think everybody understands the mayor does a good job with the town. Taxes, if they do go up any given year, it’s a minimal amount. … I think [the budget is] solid and I think everybody’s happy with it,” Slapikas said following the town meeting.
The town budget doesn’t include spending for the Region 16 school district, which oversees schools in Beacon Falls and Prospect. The school budget proposal was rejected at a district meeting Monday night.
The Town Council tabled setting the mill rate for the 2018-19 fiscal year after the town meeting.
Chatfield said he doesn’t expect the mill rate, which is 31.25 this fiscal year, to drastically change, depending on what happens with the state budget. Officials planned to hold off on setting the mill rate until after the state budget is set.
The state legislative session ends Wednesday. As of early this week legislators were still negotiating possible revisions to the second year of the current two-year, $41.3 billion state budget.
The town’s budget includes a 5 percent increase for medical benefits, which brings the cost to $531,085. Chatfield said he received the final figure, which is about a 4 percent increase, prior to the town meeting. He didn’t recommend making any changes in the budget, though.
The council has decided if there is money left over from benefits it will transfer it into the capital non-recurring account and save it to use for insurance costs in the 2019-20 budget. Chatfield said there may not be any surplus in the account if another employee, which didn’t take insurance in the past, signs up for it.
The largest departmental increase in the budget comes for the police budget, which is going up $61,960, or about 6.6 percent, to $991,891. The increase is driven by the cost of the state resident trooper program, which is going up $47,578 to $221,060.
With the voters’ approval, the town will move forward with borrowing up to $900,000 to make repairs to several roads in town, including Bronson Road, Roaring Brook Road, Pinecrest Drive and Summit Road. The money will also be used to make parking lot improvements at the Community Center, fire department and town garage.
Chatfield said the town will likely borrow the money from a bank rather than bond for it because it’s cheaper.
