Town governmental department budget requests for 2011 – 2012 total $13.3 million, up $94,909 — less than a percent — from the current year’s $13.2 million.
Those are the figures as summarized in materials made available Thursday at the Town Clerk’s office from Finance Director James Hliva. A copy of the requests are posted below.
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It is important to note though that those figures do not include the Board of Education’s budget request — that has yet to come, and is easily the largest element of any community’s spending.
It is also important to note that the figures do not include any capital plan spending, Hliva said.
The Board of Selectmen this week was scheduled to begin a long series of special meetings to comb through the budget requests before passing them on to the Board of Finance. First Selectman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers said it is very premature to think these figures are what will actually be the budget sent to voters this spring for approval.
“We’re going to be working on these numbers,” Drayton-Rogers said.
The preliminary numbers show the largest department increase request is from Public Works. They are seeking a 10.38 percent increase, or $183,439 more than the current year.
Others include public safety, with 7.87 percent more, or $134,372 more than the current year.
General government, which includes the Selectman’s office, the tax collector, the town clerk and other departments at Town Hall, has one of the smallest increases: 3.69 percent, or $80,072 more than the current year.
In the middle, the library — which has reported its highest usage in its history the past year — requests a 5.91 percent increase, or $14,389 more than the current year’s budget.
The budget request will probably not be in the final stages until some time in March, after it has been through the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance, said Lila Ferrillo, chairman of the Board of Finance.
“It could go up or down,” said Ferrillo, who said this week she will not seek re-election in three years when her term expires. Ferrillo said the decision was made for personal reasons, including wanting more time to spend with her grandchildren.
