BEACON FALLS — Voters approved two budget transfers and to appropriate funds for road work at a Sept. 23 town meeting.
The budget transfers, which are for the 2018-19 fiscal year, totaled about $60,500. The town transferred the funds, which came from the contingency and town hall accounts, to the account for part-time police officer wages.
The town budgeted $98,000 for part-time police officer wages in the 2018-19 budget, but it wasn’t enough due to several factors. First Selectman Christopher Bielik said historically that account finished with excess funds due to a shortage of officers. Officials adjusted to reduce the account when the 2018-19 budget was adopted, he said, but part-time officers were added, including to cover when a full-time officer retired, which contributed to the spending overage.
Aside from the budget transfers, voters also approved appropriating about $184,000 of unspent money from $4.35 million in bonds issued in 2016 for road work. The $184,000 can now be used for any general road project. Bielik said officials are eyeing putting the money toward repairs to Beacon Valley Road to augment a $500,000 state grant for the project. He said the work is likely to be done in the spring.
