Granby Finance Board Retains Lowered Budget Proposal for Second Referendum

Despite the pleas of a few dozen speakers at a public hearing Monday night, the Granby Board of Finance voted to move forward with a 2013-2014 budget plan that is 1 percent lower than the one defeated at referendum a week earlier.  

On Monday, April 22 residents voted down the budget 617 to 514, with just about 15 percent of those qualified to vote doing so. The next night, the Board of Finance met and put forward a proposal to cut 1 percent, or $330,000 from the budget. That brought the budget to $41,622,968, a 1.8 percent increase in spending over the 2012-2013 approved budget of $40,881,148.       

At the hearing Monday, some 150 residents came out and most who spoke were  in favor of restoring the budget to its original amount. Most of the speakers addressed the $250,000 trimmed from the education proposal.

The first speaker, Danielle Sandridge, referenced an online petition signed by some 300 residents. She said those signing and others want another shot at the original proposal and urged the Board of Finance to restore the original budget and give voters a second chance at the process.

“I truly believe the community has received a drastic wake-up call and will turn out on May 6,” she said. Numerous speakers followed, including a few students. Many admitted they did not vote for many reasons but said they would in the future. Several referenced specific cuts.

The $30,000 that would have offered some programs for gifted and talent students was most mentioned, followed by $69,835 for a full-time elementary Spanish teacher that would have introduced the language at the third- and fourth-grade level. (See this earlier story for more on where the cuts would come.)

A few speakers offered a different take. Wayne Cahoon said asked if the board of finance could reinstate a portion of the budget, which chairman Michael Guarco said was possible. He also said the board should make a decision for the whole town.

“Some people don’t have any more money to spend,” he said. “They don’t have a penny more.”  

Other speakers indicated they may vote no if the board chose to keep the cuts since they supported the original budget. However, Guarco made it clear that a no vote is seen as a message to cut further. Some members of the public said Granby should follow some other area towns and include an advisory question on those who vote no can answer whether the proposal is too high or too low.  

Following the two-plus hour hearing, the finance board met again to discuss the numbers.  

Fred Moffa said he was in favor of restoring half a percent to the proposal. “I thought a full percent (cut) was a bit much,” he said.

Francis Brady said he supported the original proposal but had to respect the vote.

“I have to respect what those folks have said,” Brady said.

Finance board member Gordon C. Bischoff said he was not in favor of restoring any of what was cut and said those who spoke did not represent the whole town.

First Selectman John Adams told the finance board he thought it would be a mistake to add nothing back in and such a move would invalidate all the comments.

“If you do nothing you’re not going to encourage the public hearing process,” he said.  

While Guarco said he clearly did not support a full restoration, he made a motion to add $30,000 for the gifted and talented and $12,000 to the town’s budget to add hours back at the libraries. However, he withdrew the motion when he realized it only had the support of Moffa and would not pass.    

In the end a plan to keep the proposal passed unanimously 4-0 from members who participated in the meeting. While Guarco said he had not opposed some amount of restoration and supported the original proposal, he also felt people should have paid more attention.

That budget plan of $41,622,968 will go to referendum Monday, May 6 from noon to 8 p.m. at Granby Town Hall. It represents a 1.3 percent tax increase when revaluation is not taken into account.  

Due to revaluation, tax impact will vary, Guarco said. While the mill rate under the plan will go from 13.5 percent from 30.69 to 34.83, assessments dropped on average almost 11 percent, he said. He said, for example, that he figured out the impact of the six members of the Board of Finance, and the tax bill impact averaged 1.56 percent and ranged as follows.

• .89 percent increase  
• .64 percent increase 
• 3.37 percent increase 
  
• - 1.15 percent decrease 
  
• -0.9 percent decrease 
  
•  6.47 percent increase