Selectmen Pass Trimmed Fiscal Year 2014 Budget with 3.94% Take Hike

The Fairfield Board of Selectmen Monday reduced the First Selectmen's proposed $287.3 million Fiscal Year 2014 budget to a $281.4 million financial plan for the Board of Finance to review and vote on.

The Board of Selectmen's recommended budget approved Monday represents a 3.36 percent increase in expenditures over the current year budget and, after accounting for the increase in senior tax relief, a 3.94 percent tax increase. That tax hike equates to a 24.29 mill rate.

The selectmen amended the budget to include the $3.5 million in adjustments brought forward by the Finance Department. The savings are largely attributed to both the town and Board of Education going out to bid for new health insurance providers and more up-to-date claims information.

"We're trying to use the latest available information," First Selectman Michael Tetreau said. When he first presented his recommended budget in February, the numbers reflected information from November and December, but now the plan can account for several months worth of updated information.

Tetreau added that if more favorable information becomes available between now and the Representative Town Meeting budget vote in May, the town's legislative body will be made aware of any such adjustments.

The selectmen reduced the First Selectman's proposed budget by an additional $1.1 million, making cuts as large as $500,000 from the Public Works' paving budget to eliminating a planned 3 percent increase in the second selectmen's compensation.

"From a leadership perspective, it makes sense to practice what I preach and achieve the same shared sacrifice," Selectman Kevin Kiley said, when he moved to reduce the selectmen's compensation increase.  

Before combing through the department budgets, Kiley reiterated the message of an email he received Monday.

The email read, "You be as fair as you can when you reduce the proposed budgets," Kiley said. "We are doing the best we can to be reasonable, to be balanced, and to be fair."

Tetreau agreed, adding that "we were elected by the town and need to come up with a balanced resolution between what we ask people to pay and which services we can afford to give."

The selectmen did not touch the Board of Education's now $152.9 million budget, which represents a 2.69 percent increase over the current year.

"I think really think the Board of Education has done a good job with what they've brought forward," Cristin McCarthy Vahey said, acknowledging the budget's biggest drivers are healthcare costs.

"We will need to work hard and work together to address those issues...it's a long-term solution, something we need to work on today, tomorrow, and continue on," she added.

The following is a breakdown of Monday's adjustments made by the Board of Selectmen:

• Public Works – reduction of paving budget: $500,000;
• Finance Department – reduction of supplemental contribution to surplus fund: $250,000;
• Legal Services – reduction of fees and professional services account: $75,000;
• Fire Department – elimination of capital request for hydraulic lifts (which have been re-certified): $65,000;
• Police Department – move $161,763 for salaries for three new school safety officer positions to overtime account, eliminate benefits for those positions: $59,640;
• Human and Social Services – reduction of salary and benefits for a senior center director with the anticipation that a director will be hired halfway through the fiscal year: $46,991;
• Office of the First Selectman & Finance Department – reduction of a shared fulltime secretary to a part-time position: total of $41,785 in salary and benefits;
• Fire Department – delay of capital request for a new staff vehicle: $36,000;
• Health Insurance – reduction to account for increased cost in premiums for department heads: $24,619;
• Public Works – elimination of capital request for one brush bucket: $18,250;
• Office of the First Selectman – elimination of 3 percent compensation increase for second selectmen: $660;
• Office of the First Selectman – reduction of travel and meeting expenses of second selectmen: $600.

The Board of Finance will vote on the budget tonight at 7 p.m. in the Board of Education Conference Room (501 Kings Highway East, second floor).