2007 – 08 Budget Approved

By Bob Bumcrot

About 150 citizens at the annual Town Meeting on May 14 approved the expenditure of not more than $468,467 to purchase a new truck for the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD). Fire Marshal Daryl Byrne explained that reconditioning the Department’s thirty-year-old truck could not bring it into compliance with current standards and equipment needs. The old truck might be donated or sold for a few thousand dollars. Once ordered, the new truck is to be delivered within 340 days.

Norfolk already has about $100,000 in a fund for new fire equipment. Both the NVFD and the Town will pursue sources of outside funding. Also, the NVFD has about $40,000 that will be used to purchase additional gear for the truck. Thus, the full authorized amount will not have to be expended.

Also approved was $206,050 for a payloader, two dumpsters, a plow and other machinery.

The proposed 2007/2008 budget of $5,871,709 was approved. This will result in a 3.2% increase in mil rate, from 27.25 to 28.12.

The education portion of the budget comprises a 5.4% increase for Botelle School, to $2,337,064, and a 14% decrease for the Northwest Region 7 Middle School and High School, to $1,470,909 (approved separately by voters in Norfolk, Colebrook, Barkhamsted and New Hartford the week before the Town Meeting). The main reason for this decrease was the unusually small size of the Botelle seventh grade class, which resulted in a decrease in the portion of Regional 7 students from Norfolk. The Region 7 budget actually increased by 3.3%. But this is itself a sign of success. “I believe that was the smallest increase in the Northwest Corner,” said Region 7 Board of Education Chairman Schuyler Thomson. Savings in fuel costs and health insurance together with a long-term capital expenditure plan contributed to the low overall increase.

Tara Yard was nominated and unanimously elected to a four year term on the Regional School District #7 Board of Education.

The service of a resident trooper was extended through June 30, 2010, at an approximate cost of $100,000 per year.

While there were a few lively exchanges, the forty-five minute meeting, moderated by Ted Veling, was relatively free of controversy.