Simsbury Board of Finance Meeting September 16, 2025

Board of Finance Meeting September 16, 2025

I would like to take this opportunity to discuss some of my budgetary concerns that should be reviewed by the Board of Finance.

I have made known the complete lack of maintenance by the Board of Education, leaving the tennis/pickleball courts at Henry James in total disarray and a public safety issue.

I have been told that many of the maintenance issues at the schools are being delayed or ignored, hoping they do not get worse, while allocating many assets to Special Education.

I would suggest that the Board of Education give the Board of Finance a list of maintenance items in terms of 1-10, with 1 being high priority and others in order of priority.

There should be a list of costs associated with the projects and the schedules for maintenance.

Money allocated to Cultural and Recreational Commission of $225,215 is placed in the Non-Public School Budget although it is used for the maintenance of the fields at all the schools.

This should be included in the Operating Budget of Board of Education.

The Board of Finance should be made aware of the loss of value for most of the Commercial buildings, with lowered assessments and value of the property diminished.

This will place an undue burden on the taxpayers unless there are severe cuts in the Board of Education and Board of Selectmen budgets.

Simsbury has more boards and commissions than all other towns.

The Boards and Commissions require support services from our staff, that are mostly redundant.

Advocacy groups should not be an integral part of the government.

There are 13 appointed Boards and Commissions designated in the Charter.

Culture, Parks and Recreation Commission;

Conservation Commission-Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency;

Housing Authority;

Aging and Disability Commission;

Economic Development Commission;

Historic District Commission;

Water Pollution Control Authority;

Public Building Committee;

Building Code Board of Appeals;

Board of Ethics;

Police Commission;

Open Space Committee

Design Review Board.

There are 8 Boards and Commissions that are elected.

The elected Boards and Commissions have the following members

Board of Selectmen including the First Selectman

Board of Education

Board of Finance

Board of Library Trustees

Planning Commission

Zoning Commission

Zoning Board of Appeals

Board of Assessment Appeals

All other Boards and Commissions should be eliminated from the meeting calendar.

There are costs associated with each Board and Commission, including imputed costs.

There is a filing with the Town Clerk for placement on the Town Calendar, placement and removal of agendas on the Bulletin Board and filing all agendas and minutes.

The Selectman’s Office allocates a room for the meeting and Town Staff provides hours of support for agenda items that are costly.

Many meeting minutes are written by paid Clerks, some by members of the Boards and Commissions and some by staff.

The Economic Development Commission should be removed from the Charter as the Commission requires a great amount of Town Staff input for agenda items that are already an integral part of the duties of our Professional staff.

There are many costly redundancies.

The Board of Education Non-Lapsing Fund should be eliminated as it is used as a slush fund to cover deficiencies.

Additional revenues from completed Capital Projects should be placed in the General Fund as this is the taxpayer’s money.

The Board of Finance should take a more active role during the budget process by asking for accountability and efficiencies to reduce costs.

Spend to Save is not acceptable unless there are strict guideline for the proposals.

The Board of Finance should be the gatekeeper not the cheerleader for the revenues and expenditures in the proposed budgets.