By Susan MacEachron

The proposed town budget of $7.7 million for fiscal year 2023/24 was the only item on the Board of Finance (BoF) agenda at its meeting on March 21. The proposed budget encompasses expenses for town government (47.4 percent) and education (52.6 percent), which includes Botelle Elementary School and Northwest Regional District 7. The budget as proposed would result in a slight decrease from the current year mill rate. 

First Selectman Matt Riiska presented town government details, and Ann DeCerbo, representing the Board of Education (BoE), presented the Botelle budget.

Riiska mentioned areas where there would be increases, including a 4 percent increase for Town Hall staff salaries. Riiska noted that the 2.5 percent salary increase for public works employees is governed by the union contract. 

Riiska highlighted the recent legislation allowing towns to increase the tax abatement for EMS personnel up to $2,000 per year. The incentive is currently capped at $1,000 per year. Riiska said the town needs more volunteers for the fire department and the ambulance and the selectmen are in favor of increasing the incentive. The cost would increase from $36,500 to $73,000 and requires a town vote to implement. 

The proposed budget benefits from the absence of design and engineering expense for the new firehouse. The town has budgeted $125,000 in each of the past two years. Riiska said sufficient funds are being held to complete the work and allow the project to go out to bid in two years. Riiska anticipates a capital campaign to raise funds for the firehouse.

The two significant near-term capital projects are the reconstruction of Maple Avenue and a new roof for Botelle. Riiska said that a town meeting will be required to approve financing for the two projects.

Maple Avenue, including engineering and project management, is expected to cost $2,360,000. Riiska said after receiving a $500,000 grant from the Connecticut Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP), the proposed budget includes the carrying costs for borrowing the remaining $1,860,000. Riiska said the debt service would be $114,000 per year based on a 30-year loan at 4.5 percent. 

The Botelle roof is projected to cost $1,825,000. Debt service would be $111,000 per year based on a 30-year loan at 4.5 percent.

Riiska described a proposal from Frontier to have the town pay $467,000 toward providing fiber optic cable to some of the homes that they would not otherwise cover. Riiska said it was unclear what Frontier meant by “some” and he was seeking further clarification. He said Frontier was being evasive, and he had contacted Comcast. However, he said Comcast was noncommittal and unlikely to be an option. Riiska suggested one potential approach to moving forward with Frontier would be to use $100,000 from the town’s capital reserve and then borrow $367,000, with a 10-year loan. 

Ann DeCerbo said the BoE approved a budget with an increase of 0.9 percent ($21,757). A 15.37 percent increase in special education support ($74,000) is partially offset by new teachers with lower salaries and benefits. 

Michael Sconyers, BoF chair, asked DeCerbo what the BoE would do if there were no increase in the Botelle budget. DeCerbo said they would have to look for savings where they do not have contractual obligations. She said there are currently 68 students in the school, and they anticipate a maximum of 63 next school year, but the numbers can fluctuate.

Several BoF members inquired about the cost of special education services. School Superintendent Mary Beth Iacobelli said there has been a spike in the number of children who need special support in Norfolk and throughout the region. She anticipates that 20 percent of next year’s student body will have special education needs. She further noted that the state mandates an individualized special education plan for each such student.

In response to a question about the large increase in the curriculum resource budget line and declining student performance in math, Iacobelli said that math is difficult to teach in a multiage environment, so extra resources are needed to provide more individual instruction for students.

Sconyers said he will schedule another meeting in the next few weeks.