Absentees Are Ready. Town Clerk to Offer Saturday Hours

Absentee ballots for both the town budget proposal and the Honeywell bonding for school building projects are now available in the Town Clerk's Office, but First Selectman Steve Vavrek is expected to send out the finalized budget numbers later today.

In response to the referendum defeat on April 2, Vavrek decided to cut $200,000 from the proposal, reducing it to $80,317,583.

Revisions outlined in a letter the first selectman released late last week include:

• Town health insurances by $30,000
• Parks & Recreation Equipment and Wolfe Park improvements by $20,000
• Public Works Equipment by $10,000
• Town Building & Maintenance – Heat by $20,000
• Debt Service by $20,000

The new proposal carries a 4.10% mill rate increase, down from the initial 4.24% request rejected by voters. The actual mill rate needed to fund the latest proposal is not yet available.

Total expenses would increase by 2.17%, according to Vavrek's letter.

Hours for Absentee Ballots

In addition to its regular hours, Town Clerk Marsha Beno said her town hall office will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon for absentee ballot applications.

Regular hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The ballot for the budget has the question:

"Shall the Annual Town Budget consisting of the Revenue Budget and Expenditure Budget of $80,317,583 for Fiscal Year July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014 inclusive, be approved?"

The Honeywell Ballot Question is:

"Shall the Resolution Appropriating $3,803,204 For Equipment To Achieve Energy Savings At The Monroe Public Schools And The Authorization Of An Equipment Lease/Purchase Agreement To Finance Such Appropriation, be approved?"

When the polls open on April 23, voting hours will be from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. in the regular districts.