RTM Largely Spares Townside of Budget

The Representative Town Meeting's appetite for cuts seemed to wane Tuesday night. Out of an initial plan to cut about $800,000 from the proposed townside budget, the RTM approved a total of $160,180 in cuts - and most of that amount came from one town department.

Just before midnight, RTM members voted 34-4 to approve an overall town budget for 2011-12 of $263 million - $960,180 lower than the proposed budget handed to them by the town's Board of Finance. Of that $960,180 reduction, $800,000 came from the Board of Education's proposed budget on Monday night.

Town Fiscal Officer Paul Hiller estimated that the tax rate needed to finance the $263 million budget approved by the RTM would be from 22.45 mills to 22.50 mills. Hiller said he had to do some "number crunching" on Wednesday to know the exact tax rate; the town's Board of Finance is scheduled to vote on a tax rate for 2011-12 during a meeting that begins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Education Center, 501 Kings Highway East.

Town officials said about two weeks ago that a tax rate of 22.51 mills - or $22.51 for every $1,000 of assessed property value - was needed to finance the $264 million budget recommended by First Selectman Ken Flatto and reduced by about $8,000 by the Board of Finance (nearly all the cuts by the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance were transferred to the town's Internal Service Fund to shore up reserves for workers' compensation and medical claims.)

But the total $960,180 cut by the RTM on Monday and Tuesday nights is offset to some extent by the town's Board of Assessment Appeals, which reduced residents' property assessments by a much higher amount than town officials had predicted - and upon which the tax rate of 22.51 mills was based. The grand list is the total assessed value of all taxable property in town.

Town Librarian Karen Ronald was thrilled the RTM didn't cut the library's proposed budget Tuesday night. "We went out and talked to people about what it would mean to library service, and library service is thriving. They spoke up to their representatives. It's heartening. It's totally heartening," Ronald said in the gymnasium at McKinley School after the 2011-12 town budget was approved by the RTM.

Other planned cuts to the proposed townside budget that didn't get approved by the RTM on Tuesday night included:

* $27,050 to the Legal Services budget.

Town Attorney Richard Saxl said two contracts between the town and unions representing town employees were in arbitration, and, when he built his proposed budget last fall, he didn't know he would need money for arbitration. He said another four labor contracts may have to go to arbitration because only one contract out of seven has been approved.

Saxl said the RTM wanted to move new town employees onto a 401(a) retirement plan instead of having them on the town's pension system and needed to fund the costs of arbitration.

Saxl added that appeals to decisions by the town's land use boards and commissions had increased (the most recent lawsuit is against the Town Plan and Zoning Commission for approving a girls' Little League field and infrastructure for a park on Hoyden's Lane) and the town would have to defend lawsuits filed by residents who weren't satisfied with their property assessments after the recent townwide revaluation and actions by the Board of Assessment Appeals.

RTM member Peter Ambrose, R-2, said he wouldn't support the $27,050 cut because one of his longstanding complaints was that the town didn't negotiate effectively with unions representing town employees. "It costs money to do this. Unless we get these contracts under control, we're going to be in trouble," Ambrose said.

* $3,000 to the Connecticut Audubon Society's Center at Fairfield on Burr Street, whose total budget request was $15,000.

Nelson North, the Audubon's director, said it would be difficult to have all of the Audubon's 10 miles of trails open this summer if the RTM approved the $3,000 cut. "We had a really rough winter. The snowplow bill was through the moon," he said. The Audubon can use volunteers for light work, such as raking and grooming, but needs to hire professionals for work requiring chainsaws and axes, North said.

RTM member Nicholas Mirabile, R-9, said the Audubon wasn't asking for more money compared to the amount approved last spring for the current budget. Mirabile said the Audubon educated a lot of kids and adults and that he wouldn't support a $3,000 cut.

Judy Ewing, who frequently attends town meetings, said the Audubon was "wonderful" and "such an asset to the town."

"Come on. I'll give you the $3,000," Ewing said to the RTM.

Jeff Steele, the RTM's moderator, quipped, "Be careful."

* A $17,500 cut to the Fairfield Museum and History Center, which had a total budget request of $50,000.

RTM Faith Dillon, R-9, said the museum was asking for a 54 percent increase over the amount approved last spring ($32,500) in the current town budget. "That is unreasonable given the economic times," she said.

But Mark McGinty, R-9, said the museum hadn't asked for an increase in the town's contribution for four years and that the museum managed historic town-owned properties, which Bill Vogel, president of the museum's board of directors, said costs 50 percent less than the amount charged by a private firm 10 years ago. He said the museum manages the historic properties for $30,000 a year, while a private company charged the town $65,000 a year a decade ago. He added that the museum was an educational resource for children in the public schools.

Ambrose said the museum raises $25 for every $1 given by the town and that Michael Jehle, the museum's director, "has done a tremendous job in raising money for this museum."

Jehle said the town contributes only 3 percent of the museum's annual budget and that private donations totaling $6.5 million had built it. He added that private donations totaling $150,000 had enabled the town to move Fairfield Counseling Services, which had occupied property where the museum is now located, into a new home on Penfield Road. He said the museum's programs and services had economic benefits, raised the community's profile and made Fairfield a desirable place to live.

* $1,600 from the Pilot House, which serves children with special needs.

* $34,250 from the Fire Department's proposed budget - most of the cuts had been proposed in accounts for maintenance and repair of buildings, grounds, apparatus and equipment.

Fire Chief Richard Felner noted the age of the town's five fire stations and how much work was needed on them. He said Fire Station 4 on Main Street in Southport had leaking windows, Fire Station 1 on Reef Road had plumbing problems, Fire Station 2 on Jennings Road had shingles falling off the roof and building, and Fire Station 3 had been built in the 1920s and was showing its age. He said he'd increased the budget for each fire station by $2,000 over this year's budget and increased the budget for each vehicles by $600 over this year's budget due to the increased cost of parts. He noted that nine Fire Department vehicles had more than 100,000 miles.

RTM member Thomas Conley, R-3, urged the RTM not to make any cuts. "These are a tremendous group of guys," Conley said, adding that Fairfield firefighters respond to all the accidents and car fires on Interstate 95, which is in addition to responding to medical calls and fires.

* $10,000 to the Police Department's proposed budget for maintenance and repair of vehicles.

Police Chief Gary MacNamara said the requested $10,000 cut would hurt the department because Ford was no longer making Crown Victorias and some of the department's equipment for Crown Victorias may no longer be useful.

* $1,500 to the town's Emergency Communication Center's travel and meeting budget. This wasn't even brought to the floor for a vote.

* $28,000 from the Engineering Department's proposed budget for a survey van to replace one that no longer worked. This also wasn't brought to the floor for a vote.

* $22,990 from the library's proposed budget, which included accounts for materials, printing and binding, education and memberships, travel and meetings, and fees and professional services. This also wasn't brought to the floor for a vote.

* Nearly $40,000 from the budget for the H. Smith Richardson Golf Course. This wasn't brought to the floor for a vote.

What the RTM did cut Tuesday night included:

* $1,200 from an office supplies account in the Human Resources Department's budget.

* $6,000 from a $30,000 contribution to the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport.

* $128,000 from an account in the town's Information Technology budget for software upgrades.

* $9,750 from the Department of Public Works' proposed operations budget, which had an initial proposed cut of $116,350.

On Monday night, the RTM cut:

* $2,100 from a special department supplies account in the Administrative Services proposed budget;

* $12,130 from the Registrar of Voters' proposed budget.

* $1,000 from the Town Plan and Zoning Department's proposed budget.

Proposed cuts to the townside budget at one point totaled about $800,000, though the list went through several revisions. The document printed out at 4 p.m. Monday had a proposed total of $500,500 from the Republican majority, with another $140,295 identified as proposed cuts from Ann Stamler, D-5. However, some of Stamler's proposed cuts were identified as duplicate cuts to what the Republicans had proposed.