Edited Unreported Taxpayer Funds in Avon’s Fiscal Year 2022/23 Annual

In the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2023, Avon’s annual report failed to account for over $2.1 million of taxpayer dollars. Despite attending board of finance meetings, town council sessions, and engaging in a one-on-one discussion with the town manager, I discovered a concerning pattern. The town manager, town council, and board of finance seemed to be playing a shell game.

The town manager persuaded the town council, who in turn convinced the board of
finance, to bypass the budget process. They discreetly allocated the $2.1+ million into
new unapproved, unbudgeted accounts. This maneuver occurred without any
transparency or visibility to the taxpaying residents.

What’s even more troubling is the town manager’s belief that taxpayers didn’t need to
be informed about this substantial sum. His frustration escalated during the November
2023 Board of Finance meeting when three town residents representing both political
parties resisted approving his request, as it fell outside the established budget process.
Within the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2023, Avon’s annual report failed to account
for over $2.1 million of taxpayer dollars. Notably, $1.6 million of this amount constitutes
“interest income” earned by Avon taxpayers from invested funds. The budget for
interest income in FY 23/24 was set at $362,000. However, the additional unplanned
interest income of $1.6 million remained unrecognized and unreported in the annual
report/calendar June 30, 2023.

This substantial sum only came to light during the November 2023 Board of Finance
meeting when the town manager presented transaction and transfer requests for the
fiscal year ending on June 30, 2023.

To put it in perspective, consider the scenario of discovering a discrepancy in your
personal bank account. Imagine finding that several hundred dollars were missing, yet
someone had quietly reallocated those funds “for your own good” without your
knowledge or approval.

The responsible approach would be to address such discrepancies transparently,
ensuring that taxpayers remain informed about the use of their hard-earned money.
Unfortunately, at the November 2023 meeting, one board of finance member seemed to
adopt a different perspective: “We have the Avon taxpayer money, so let’s spend it!”
The town manager requested approval from the board of finance to allocate $1.6
million of the total $2.1+ million budget for road work. He did not make the pertinent
documents accessible to the public and they were not part of the agenda for review.
Some members of the board expressed dissatisfaction, as they believed that requests
outside the budget should undergo scrutiny during the upcoming budget process. This
transparency would benefit the taxpaying residents of Avon.

Another concern is the unreported $500,000+ in unplanned revenue received by the
town. This discrepancy occurred at the end of the fiscal year (FY 22/23) on June 30,
2023. The town manager proposed allocating $500,000 of this unexpected revenue to a
new Capital Reserve account. However, this account has not yet received approval from
the taxpaying residents through the budget process. The rationale behind creating this reserve is to address unforeseen expenses, such as equipment repairs.

In my view, existing legal frameworks, including Avon’s Town Charter and State
Statutes, provide a process for managing such funds. The town manager can seek
approval from the town council and board of finance, and if necessary, from taxpayers
(based on the percentage relative to the total grand list). These safeguards are in place
to prevent misuse, mismanagement, and unnecessary spending of taxpayer funds.

Regarding the Board of Education Budget:
The Superintendent has requested funding for three new positions in special education,
social work, and coaching. However, upon closer examination, it becomes evident that
there is a shadow request for a total of nineteen new positions. These include fifteen
positions for preschool, paraeducators, and teaching assistants, as well as a funded
position from last year’s grant. Additionally, there are three positions for special
education and coaching in the upcoming fiscal year 2024-25.

Last year, the Board spent $486,042 from the FY 2023-24 budget on unbudgeted additions.

Here’s the breakdown:
1.0 FTE Preschool Teacher
7.0 FTE Paraeducators
7.0 FTE Teaching Assistants

It appears that the Superintendent over-budgeted by $486,042. Taxpayers were affected
because these extra funds were used for unplanned positions. Furthermore, the new
Board of Education budget includes $1.065 million of taxpayer dollars, which I believe
should not be allocated, especially considering the stagnant and declining student
population.

Additional details from the budget include:
1.0 FTE Social Worker at AHS
FY2024-25 Additions: $102,616
1.0 FTE Social Worker at PGS/RBS
Unified Sports Spring Coaches
FY2024-25 Contractual obligations:

Contractual rate increases ranging from
2.25% to 3.0%, totaling $1,211,195

Total salary increases: $1,892,928.

In conclusion:

"In light of the $2.1 million not disclosed to taxpayers and the additional $1.065 million
allocated in the board of education budget, Avon’s proposed FY budget should be
reduced by $3.165 million.

I encourage Avon taxpayers to attend the Senior Center on Wednesday, May 15, and
consider voting against the proposed 5.44% budget increase for FY 24/25. This
increase, totaling $5,991,432.00, appears excessive and lacks transparency. Instead, I
recommend a more moderate 2.56% budget increase, equivalent to $2,826,432. The
proposed 5.44% increase is unnecessary.