'Getting below 4% needs to be your goal'

Monroe voters will go to the polls on May 7 to try to approve a budget on the third try, but First Selectman Steve Vavrek must revise the $80.3 million proposal that was defeated on Tuesday. He heard all kinds of advice during a charter required budget meeting at town hall on Thursday night.

"I was hoping there would be a little more trust of our elected officials, but the budget went down and here we are again," Vavrek said in his opening remarks.

Most of the close to 40 people in the Town Council Chambers who shared an opinion over why two previous proposals were defeated, expressed their belief that it came down to mill rate increases of 4.24 then 4.1%. The mill rate is used to calculate individual tax bills.

Town Councilman Tony Unger said he spoke to residents in the community, asking for their thoughts on the budget.

"The 4.1 increase was too much than most felt they can handle," he said, adding people told him they could handle a 3% tax increase, but no more.

Town Councilwoman Dee Dee Martin said, "We need to reduce no votes by getting below that dreaded 4%. Getting below 4% needs to be your goal."

Scott Ownes of the Board of Finance said the town should just cut the budget by the $600,000 to $700,000 it would take to get the increase down to 3%, so the budget can pass and people can move on.

Joel Leneker said, "I do believe you're going to have to cut up to $500,000 to get people to vote for this budget."

A Million Dollar Cut?

Ernest LaFollette, chairman of the Monroe Citizens Audit Committee, said he believes the budget can be cut by $1 million, reducing the tax increase to 2.5%.

Among some of the ways to get there, LaFollette said the Board of Education can reduce the contribution to its medical reserve by $50,000 a month for $600,000 in savings and that eliminating the three SROs on the town side could go a long way to a $400,000 cut.

"I think this is doable. I could support 2.5%" LaFollette said.

Drastic Measures

Town Council Chairwoman Enid Lipeles suggested areas to cut on the town side, including reducing $25,000 for the establishment of a youth bureau down to $10,000 and to cut around $38,000 for a parks maintainer.

But if the budget is defeated a third time on May 7, Lipeles she said the town has to consider more drastic measures such as closing Edith Wheeler Memorial Library, the Ron Wallissa Swimming Pool and the Monroe Senior Center for one day per week.

Town Council Vice Chairwoman Deborah Heim echoed Lipeles' sentiments and encouraged Vavrek to wait another year to do some projects — though infrastructure has been neglected over time — because there are people living on fixed incomes. She also asked him to meet with department heads to see if they have any ideas.

Vavrek said he did meet with department heads and that most came in with zeros. However, he said those who didn't have been "very forthcoming on where we need to go."

Where to Cut

Town Councilwoman Debra Dutches gave Vavrek a sheet outlining about $300,000 in potential spending cuts. Other than ones already mentioned, she suggested a $25,000 reduction in legal fees, reducing maintenance for the senior center by $5,000, cutting consulting and engineering by $5,000, making a $40,000 cut between employee pensions and insurance, and holding off on raises for non-union employees.

Dutches said there are seven or eight employees who were "fortunate" to get raises last year, adding her position is nothing against them or what they do, but because it is a tough economy.

Dutches also suggested cutting contracted services by $5,000 in the maintenance and said the town agreed to do snow removal for the Monroe and Stepney fire departments, saving $12,000 and $20,000 respectively — and said that amount should be reduced from "the grant".

Part-time staff from Public Works should be cut by $15,977, road expenditures should go into bonding, and counselling services should be reduced by $15,000 to $10,000, according to Dutches.

She also said there has not been enough discussion to warrant establishing a youth services bureau yet.

Unger said, "I'm not in favor of any increase but the SROs." Three school resource officers are in the budget to improve school security following the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December.

While supporting making cuts, Martin expressed her support of full day kindergarten for the Board of Education and said there are some critical needs for EMS and fire services and asked Vavrek not to cut there.

Martin suggested concentrating on the departments that have received the biggest increases.

Cutting the SROs

Jennifer Aguilar of Monroe's Organized Voters for Education (MOVE) said, if the first selectman must cut the budget, SROs to not directly impact the schools as much as full day kindergarten.

"If people wanted SROs they should have got out and made sure it passed," Aguilar said of the budget.

Steve Kirsch said he had been involved in a workplace shooting incident, but added he still does not believe the town needs three new SROs. He said the town is already making other security improvements for the schools.

Kirsch also suggested taking $100,000 from the roads expense budget and moving it to bonding.

Steve Schapiro suggested reducing $150,000 from the town's insurance and $25,000 from drainage improvements.