First Selectman Kurt Miller presented a $55.2 million budget proposal for 2015 – 16 Monday that would increase spending by 1.57 percent next year.
He made his presentation to the town’s board of finance at Seymour Town Hall.
The percentage represents a budget-to-budget increase of $853,145.
The town side of the budget is $23,038,015 — a $377,188, or 1.6 percent increase, over the current budget.
Miller suggests the school district receive $32,206,404 — a 1.5 percent increase. That is less than the 3.2 percent the school district has already requested from the town’s board of finance.
Miller’s proposal will be reviewed by the town’s Board of Finance over the next several weeks.
The Board of Finance gets final say over what budget goes to voters in the spring.
Miller said his proposal balances the town’s needs while trying to keep taxes in check.
“We understood that we needed to continue moving the Town of Seymour forward. But at the same time we needed to be very conscious of the mill rate, which quite frankly is too high,” he said.
The current tax rate is 34.04 mills. Miller’s proposal, if approved as-is, would increase that rate by 0.27 to 34.31 mills, Miller said.
That would mean a homeowner with a house assessed at $105,000 would pay about $28 more in in taxes 2015 – 16.
Miller suggests giving a $475,957 increase to the Board of Education budget. That is about $540,000 less than what school officials are asking for.
Miller said he had asked the schools to request a smaller amount.
“I think it’s too high,” he said of the school budget.
He said the town has invested in the schools outside of the normal budget process, through debt it took on to renovate school buildings.
Of the town’s $32.4 million in debt, 77 percent is for school projects, he said.
“We do invest heavily in the most important thing for our kids, and that is our schools,” Miller said.
Miller’s Initiatives
Fiscal stability has been the top priority of Miller’s administration. He wants the town to have a mill rate that doesn’t spike and dip from one election cycle to the next.
His budget proposes adding a line item in the public works budget to purchase a new Ford F550 work truck every year, for $90,000 a year.
Miller said the trucks are used year round, the “workhorses” of the town’s Department of Public Works. The town can save on maintenance costs and the trucks can be traded in when they’ve hit their lifespan.
The town will turn over its fleet every six years, Miller said.
“It’s time we start investing in these very important pieces of equipment,” he said said.
The police department budget would increase by 4.5 percent under Miller’s proposal.
It includes a 5.4 percent increase in the chief’s salary, a raise that was already approved by the Board of Police Commissioners, according to Miller.
The total police department budget is now $3.9 million. Miller has recommended spending $4.1 million.
The chief’s current salary is $104,000, according to the budget document. The budget includes $109,620 for next year for Chief Michael Metzler.
There was some discussion among members of the Board of Finance as to whether they were obligated to immediately fund the raise.
Miller said the charter allows for the Board of Police Commissioners to set the chief’s salary.
Insurance costs were a bright spot in the budget, Miller said.
The First Selectman said because of renegotiated contracts with town employee unions, “archaic insurance plans” have been adjusted for a total cost savings to the town of about $367,000.
Miller called it “a one-time savings bump” for the town.
Miller’s proposal also includes money for two part-time seasonal workers to take care of grounds and maintenance at town hall and the schools in the summer. He said the positions were necessary as the public works department will be stretched thin with summer projects.
“We feel this budget is as low as we can go without hurting the town,” Miller said.
Members of the Board of Finance will hold workshops all month reviewing the spending plan.
A public hearing will have to be scheduled.
“It’s a balancing act,” said Bill Sawicki, chairman of the board of finance. “You try to get the most bang for your buck with what you hope to be sensible, rational, and thoughtful decisions.”
