Finance board OKs $59.8 million spending plan

GUILFORD — A divided Board of Finance is proposing a $59.88 million budget to cover municipal and school expenditures for 2003-04.

In a 4-3 vote along party lines, the board is recommending a $21.58 million allocation for the town, an increase of 4.11 percent, and $38.31 million for the Board of Education, an increase of 4.26 percent.

If the proposed budget is approved by voters in an April 22 referendum, it’s anticipated the tax rate will be 21.4 mills, according to Matthew Hoey, Democratic chairman of the Finance Board.

Despite the increase in the proposed budget, the tax rate will drop from the current 32.47 mills as a result of the recently completed revaluation.

Hoey defended the Finance Board’s recommendation as being "a good budget in tough economic times."

Republican Finance Board members James O’Keefe, Joseph Mazza and Richard Evans voted against the Democrats’ spending proposal during a special session on March 13, while Hoey and fellow Democrats Stephen Spurrell, Kenneth Gamerman and Drew Lichtenfels carried the majority. Republicans had proposed additional cuts to the budget and wanted a compromise.

Republicans took issue with a $38,000 addition to the Board of Selectmen’s proposal of $21.8 million, a move some considered "procedurally incorrect," said Mazza.

The additional funds, coupled with a reallocation of $18,000 earmarked to demolish the ambulance barn, will pay for proposed new lighting on the Guilford Green. The lighting plan was presented to selectmen only two weeks ago, the culmination of a two-year study.

"We felt as Republicans that the budget was convoluted with board members working with two sets of numbers," the selectmen’s original recommendation and the amended budget with the additional $38,000, said Mazza.

Mazza and Evans said they were disappointed in Hoey’s refusal to compromise.

"I just think the Democrats took advantage of their majority on the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance," Evans said.

Hoey said compromise wasn’t necessary because town agencies had already made compromises to deliver services.

"I would have enjoyed having a unanimous vote, but the difference in the tax rate (between the Democrats’ and Republicans’ spending proposals) is minimal, only 0.1 mill," he said.

Board members were unanimous in their decision to cut $279,160 from the selectmen’s budget for new full- and part-time employees.

The reduction rules out the request of Fire Chief Charles E.

Herrschaft Jr. for funds to hire six new full-time firefighters. The department last year hired its first 10 paid firefighters to supplement the formerly all-volunteer force.

The cut was coupled with a recommendation for a consultant study of the Fire Department to determine its needs as it grows, Hoey said.

The annual budget meeting will be held April 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Greene Community Center, and will adjourn to the referendum.

©New Haven Register 2003

Peggy Schenk can be reached at pschenk@nhregister.com, or (860) 664-4118.