How is East Haven Planning to Deal With Cutback in State Funds?

EAST HAVEN, CT - The big question for all towns in the state is how will the ongoing Connecticut budget crisis filter town and impact individual taxpayers in municipalities such as East Haven.

A detailed breakdown of East Haven's answers to the questionnaire are: this year's mill rate, 32.45, next year expected to be 32.42 (down .-03 percent); this year's grand list 1.972 billion, next year 1.971 billion, down $948,788 ; increase in town hall side of budget is 0.93 percent; increase in school budget is 0 percent; proposed overall budget increase is 0.44 percent; expected cuts are to debt service, medical benefits, public works.

While the state budget isn't set - and won't be for another six plus weeks - a survey sent out by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) reported that more than two dozen towns and cities of all sizes across Connecticut presented CCM with key information on where their proposed municipal budgets stand as municipalities proceed deeper into their own budget-approval seasons; and as as they wait for the General Assembly’s budget committees to report on the next phase of the proposed state budget and the resulting proposed levels of state aid to local governments.

What is the percentage increase in the town’s grand list for next fiscal year? -- The average increase is .82 percent. The lowest change was a decrease, -1.05 percent, while the highest increase is 5.05 percent.

What is the proposed percentage change in your overall budget (town hall and board of education) for next fiscal year? -- The average increase is 2.50 percent. The lowest increase is .02 percent, while the highest increase is 5.36 percent.

What is the proposed percentage increase in the town hall side of your budget for next fiscal year? -- The average increase is 3.64 percent. The lowest increase is a zero percent hike, while some of the highest increases are over 10 percent.

What is the proposed percentage increase in the board of education budget for next fiscal year? -- The average increase is 2.13 percent. The lowest change was a decrease, - 2.67 percent, while the highest increase is 5.29 percent.

The rate of inflation in Connecticut is presently 1.9 percent.

But also remember, with education budgets representing, on average, about 70 percent of local government spending, the dollar value of a percentage hike in education spending is more costly than a similar percentage hike in spending on the town hall side.

Name examples of significant services that you have had to cut back? Examples presented include:

-- Many town hall positions were eliminated since the recession began, affecting all service areas.

-- Deferred adding needed public works staff and IT services.

-- Cutbacks on overtime across all departments.

-- Cutbacks on purchase of salt, gasoline, and diesel for public works.

-- Requests for capital spending were reduced for a variety of departments.

-- Medical benefits were reduced.

-- Board of Education budget requests were widely reduced.

-- Cutbacks in engineering, grounds and highway services.

-- Underfunding debt service.

-- Hiring freezes instituted.

-- Hours of operation at transfer station cut.

-- Road paving reduced.

-- Deferred action on vehicle purchases.

-- Cutbacks in library services and parks and recreation programs.

-- Eliminated more than a dozen administrative and governmental non-essential service positions.

Here are the towns that responded to the questionnaire:

Barkhamsted

Berlin

Branford

Bridgeport

Columbia

East Hartford

East Haven

Granby

Windsor Locks

Manchester

Meriden

Milford

New Fairfield

New London

Newtown

Old Lyme

Oxford

Portland

Redding

Stamford

Suffield

Weston

Wethersfield

Windsor

Wolcott