Politics & Government

Public Will Have Chance to Speak at RTM's May 6 Budget Vote

The Republican caucus alluded to reductions but did not make specific proposals known at Monday's RTM meeting, so Moderator Jeff Steele, R-2, will allow additional public comment the night of the vote.

Fairfield's Representative Town Meeting was expected to propose, discuss, and hear public feedback on potential cuts to the Fiscal Year 2014 budget on Monday -- two weeks before the body is slated to vote on the budget -- but only two members brought forward proposals.  

Minority Leader Hal Schwartz said he is "seriously contemplating" proposing a $100,000 cut to the Pequot Library's $350,000 line item, following the RTM's 43-3 vote to restore those funds.  

Schwartz said "$350,000 is a lot" when other budgets -- like education and the Department of Public Work's paving account -- took hits.  

David Mackenzie, R-3, said he wants to cut the proposed budget by $2.3 million to get the tax rate to 2 percent, or the rate of inflation.  

"It won't be easy...there are still ways for the town and Board of Education to spend less," he said.  

Mackenzie didn't have specific proposals, but said he would "split it 50/50 between the Board of Education and the town."  

Majority Leader Joseph Palmer, R-4, said he spoke for most of the Republican caucus when he said the "budget has come along way since February...but taxpayers have made it clear that they can't afford a tax increase more than the rate of inflation."     

The party's proposals would be "reasonable, with little impact to services."  

But those proposals require "further examination of the town budget. It's the necessary and right thing to do," Palmer said -- and they may not be made known until May 6.  

Allen Marks, D-8, raised a point of order, saying that Moderator Jeff Steele, R-2, had put on the agenda any RTM member with proposed cuts make their intentions known on April 22, to allow for discussion and provide "reasonable notice" to all affected persons and departments.  

"Many people want to comment on the budget -- if we have no proposals tonight, then we have to allow the public to comment [on May 6] when we have those proposals," Josh Garskof, D-5 added.  

"Otherwise, it's just like what happened with Pequot Library, which we all just complained about."  

David Becker, R-1, said that other boards do not allow public comment on the day they vote, and the RTM doesn't, either.  

"May 6 works a certain way. The night for the public to speak is tonight."  

Becker added that in the past few years, the proposals revealed in the meeting before the vote usually don't materialize.  

Steele told Palmer to do his best to make proposed cuts known to the RTM and affected departments by the end of this week, and he will allow additional public comment on May 6.  

There was still plenty of general public comment on the budget Monday -- some in defense of the Board of Education's spending, others in favor of a lower tax hike.  

"Please don't cut the Board of Education budget," Matthew Hutzelmann of Pansy Road said. "This town has a responsibility to its children to educate them."  

"To cut now from the education budget is to just spite them -- it's spiting the children," he added.  

Lisa Havey, a Longview Avenue resident and PTA Council President, said that though she is currently unemployed and her family is living on a fixed income, "we have to pay for our desirability.  

"It's worth it. Fairfield is worth fighting for."  

School Board Chairman Philip Dwyer told the RTM that he is "a little frustrated" with accusations that the district can't find savings when it comes to the administration.  

He said that Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Title's proposed school budget -- aside from fixed obligations like pensions and healthcare -- represents "two-tenths of a percent of an increase."  

"To stand up and say he haven't found administrative efficiencies -- he has. Whatever reductions we get will come out of services to your children," Dwyer said.  

But Robin Lane resident Lynne Porter said that the RTM "needs to look seriously at cutting the budget for the education system. You cannot equate quality with money when it comes to education."  

Porter, a professor at Fairfield University, said that the university's departments had to cut 10 percent from their budgets when the economy crashed several years ago. Since then administrators have come up with "leaner, meaner curriculum" and did "more with less."  

"Cut everything by 1.5 percent," John Donovan of Taintor Drive proposed. "Stop the insanity here." 

He said the RTM should consider hiring an independent, unbiased consultant to comb through the budget and make recommendations for reductions.

Bud Morten of Sasco Hill Road echoed RTM member Mackenzie's proposal and said the RTM must hold the tax increase to 2 percent, and create a five-year plan "that will keep Fairfield affordable by holding future tax increases below the rate of inflation."  

Both Eleven O'Clock Road resident Catherine Giff and RTM member Ann Stamler, D-5, said the RTM shouldn't be beholden to a number -- like a 2 percent increase -- when it comes to the budget.  

"I think using inflation to peg tax increases is a questionable goal," Stamler said.

"I don't think we were elected to keep taxes at a certain rate. We were elected to bring services to our constituents at the most cost-effective rate."      

Giff agreed. "I elected officials not to chase some number...I elected officials to lead."


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