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The finance board will begin its review of the budget proposal next week but held a hearing beforehand to give the public an opportunity to offer comment and express concerns.
The $90,015,084 proposal recommended by Mayor Patricia Murphy, with the approval of the Town Council, would represent a 1.35 percent increase in taxes even though it reflects cutting more than $2 million from the town's current spending plan and adding nothing to the school district's current $56.95 million budget. The school district had requested $58 million for the upcoming fiscal year, which will begin July 1.
Mitchell Taub, a parent of two who noted that he was pleased with the school system, said it was inappropriate to ask children to make sacrifices because the district's mission statement is to enable them "to compete and succeed in an ever-changing world" and because parents, including his wife, already support the schools through fund-raising and other voluntary efforts.
"What's at stake," he said, "is the future of our children, our community, New Milford and our country."
Joseph Redington, a parent of two young children and a higher-education administrator, said that the proposed cuts "send a horrific message" to both the community and businesses that might be considering establishing themselves here that "education is not valued."
He added that returning $1 million to the education request would be "the single biggest, more important and wisest economic development decision we can make."
He stressed keeping in mind "equity and fair share," regarding the municipal and education requests; common sense regarding where cuts could be made-pointing out that an "educational institution's mission is to educate, to serve," and therefore it's important to maintain "core instruction"; and the need for long-term "community building" efforts rather than jeopardize the "high-quality education in a safe and nurturing environment" that was the promise of the town when he and his family located here seven years ago.
"Education is a long-term development of the individual," Mr. Redington said. "[By] Cutting off things in key moments, the process stops."
Mary Dunnett also urged that $1 million be restored to the education request. "Cutting more would be devastating to the children," she said.
Deb Sowerby, an eight-year resident who "is not a U.S. citizen yet," opened by stressing the need to "put differences aside" in striving to create "a prudent and yet acceptable budget for all." Cautioning that it would be too late to act when the town's economy "disintegrates into a pit of blight and oblivion," she urged that creative measures be undertaken to find alternative revenue sources-possibly sponsorships, appeals to "the nation's philanthropists," and so forth. "There's money out there," she said.
She also made a plea to consider the staffing situation, saying that cuts could lead to turnover that would be detrimental to the school district in particular.
David Lawson also talked to a staffing issue, stressing the importance of maintaining resource officers in the schools.
Talking to the town government staffing situation, Frances Pennington, a longtime local resident homeowner who works in the town's planning office, made a poignant plea regarding operations in her office. She acknowledged that while there has been a "short breather" in the work load it has picked up again and would continue to do so, particularly because there are currently four new subdivision proposals before the Planning Commission as well as other proposals that would need to be addressed.
"The 1.35 percent tax increase that has been proposed was touted as affordable," she said, but noted that a reduction of staff hours in her office (from 40 to 15 hours) would be "shortsighted" regarding the service provided and detrimental to her personally as they would affect her. She acknowledged that while budget cuts are made to benefit the taxpayer, she, a taxpayer, would be at risk of losing her home. "Try to find a compromise," the planning office secretary urged, "somewhere between affordable and crippling."
Tom Pilla, a lifelong resident and self-employed contractor, acknowledged the economic stresses of "these uncertain times" but said the town has had "a good blueprint for success." He urged the finance board to "analyze its fund balance growth from 2003 through 2008," which he said was the result of "good fiscal policy, the good stewardship of this administration and good economic growth." Also, he stressed the need to "make sure of its revenues for "grand list growth," which he called "this town's driving engine," is "abysmal" at this time.
Mr. Pilla posed several suggestions to achieve a balanced budget but said it would be "borderline malfeasance to use the fund balance to balance the revenue sheet."
"It is important to sustain the fund balance, which is in dire jeopardy now due to uncertainty," because the town has "many good capital projects moving forward." A strong fund balance, he noted, makes a municipality attractive "to the bond market."
"I think it should be used only for a one-time, nonrecurring capital expense," he said, urging that "any anomaly" in the fund balance be used for infrastructure.
Mr. Pilla called on Superintendent of Schools JeanAnn Paddyfote to seek a wage freeze for administrators and staff.
Restoring $1 million to the education proposal would result in one-third of a mill tax rate increase, he pointed out, saying, "A high mill rate is a disaster for this town." The current mill rate is 22.52.
Mr. Pilla, along with other residents, called on the finance board to spend time going over the proposed budget, acknowledging the effort made by municipal government and the school district in preparing their recommendations.
Former finance board chairman George McLaughlin stressed the need to keep an eye on revenue streams, particularly from the state since it is facing a projected $8 billion deficit.
"If revenues don't come in as planned," he said, such possible measures as using a portion of the town's undesignated fund balance, instituting a supplemental tax bill and making reductions in the budget might have to be considered.
Jane Gregory, who has been in the real estate business for more than two decades, elaborated on the foreclosure situation locally that Mr. Pilla had mentioned briefly, adding that New Milford would be adversely affected also by the economic downtown as it is being experienced in lower Fairfield County.
She said that there are "roughly 100 foreclosures in town" even though only "about three have hit the market." There are, she said, "about five a week," acknowledging that Danbury has more.
"The Southern Fairfield market has shown a real decrease since Christmas," she said
The impact there, which affects properties from "the highest paid taxes down to condos," she remarked, "eventually washes north."
"New Milford's real estate market does take a greater hit than other towns in the area," she said.
Carl Dunham, a lifelong resident, said there was a need to look at both sides of the budget again, since he though "the general budget was hurt more," and urged the town to "do things" for businesses.
Echoing other residents, he said it is "important to look at the bigger picture," to look for creative ways to augment revenues instead of dipping into the town's surplus, and to maintain infrastructure.
Acknowledging that "taxpayers are hurting," Mr. Dunham added that "you don't want to hurt your economic base."
"The mayor did a great job to address these," he said, adding that "we need to grow as a town and we all need to work at that. We can't just cut."
The finance board is scheduled to begin its budget review Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the town hall.
Copies of the budget proposal are available in the town clerk's office and online at www.newmilford.org.
