Eye on Town Government

By Bridgette L. Rallo
The hottest topic in Norfolk this month is money: where it’s coming from and where it’s going. Residents will probably see a tax increase next year and no one on either the Board of Selectmen (BOS) or the Board of Finance (BOF) can figure out a way to avoid it. By the time this issue of Norfolk Now is delivered, the annual town budget meeting will already have taken place (April 26) and, in all likelihood, the new proposed mil rate of 20.18 percent will have been adopted. That figure translates to a 3.9 percent increase over the amount collected in taxes under the current mil rate of 19.42 percent.
According to First Selectman Sue Dyer, town officials poured over expenditure numbers to find offsets for increases in spending, that they know are looming but over which they have little or no control.
One such example is an upcoming mil rate increase of 0.25 percent for the Regional 7 School District. The amount will be raised by setting aside funds equaling one quarter mil in each of three successive years, enabling the town to avoid a tax increase for that purpose. It is worth noting that both Norfolk’s elected officials and employees of the Department of Public Works have agreed to forego any wage increases for this fiscal year. In addition, BOS members voted to include a $300,000 transfer of monies from the positive fund balance to the fiscal year 2010-2011 budget, to keep tax increases as low as possible.
Other issues on the BOS agenda at the April 6 BOS meeting included a proposal to dredge parts of Tobey Pond at a cost of $4,700. The state Department of Environmental Protection concluded that the project falls under the heading of “maintenance” and, as such, does not require the acquisition of a state permit. Cost estimates from a local dredging company revealed that traditional dredging operations would involve more money than the town wants to spend, but the company suggested as an alternative that on-site excavation could be used instead. Board members agreed to discuss the issue with excavation contractor John Allyn. Once completed, the plans for the project must be approved by the trustees of Great Mountain Forest.
Finally, the annual Angel Ride Charity event will pass through Norfolk on May 29, during Memorial Day weekend. Permission was unanimously approved.