First Selectman Paul Roy has set his sights on a lofty goal for the upcoming budget process: no increase.
Roy said he hopes to have a budget with at the most a very minimal increase in spending at the last meeting of the Board of Selectmen. In planning for the town’s future, he is looking at the past and present.
“We have got to look at what we did last year, where we had very little increase,” said Roy.
In order to meet that goal, he is looking to meet with department heads to hear and review budget requests and issues as early as Jan. 19.
Contracts and collective bargaining agreements will require some departments to increase payroll spending.
However, Roy hopes that by working directly with the directors he will be able to keep the financial impact as close to neutral as possible.
The biggest threat to the town budget though won’t come from the individual departments themselves.
“As far as from the town side we are looking good,” said Roy.
However, concerns over state funding are where the concern lies. Roy said a cut in funding could have a significant impact on the town. In anticipation, he wants to get as early a start on the budget as possible.
Republican Selectman John Conroy Jr. questioned if Roy would be meeting with all of the departments and directors, especially the Board of Education.
Roy understood Conroy’s concerns.
“I think his concern was that every board is held accountable,” Roy said.
According to Roy, that is exactly his intention. In terms of the Board of Education itself, he said he is already pleased with some issues that will affect their budget. He said their recent contract negotiations show a concern for keeping costs down.
In early December the Board of Selectmen voted to accept an arbitrated agreement with the teachers that would show no salary increase in the first year. Conroy was on record as saying it would be hard to vote no on accepting the contract because if it returned to arbitration they might not get as favorable a deal.
Roy said his requests to meet with department heads have so far been met favorably and he looks forward to the first meetings later in the month.
“Every one is cooperating and they are doing exactly what I asked them to do,” Roy said.
No matter what comes out of Roy’s budget process though, it won’t be up to him and the board to set into action.
“The town people will decide,” Roy said.
