Tolland Budget Rejected, Town Council Gets to Work

With voters having rejected the $51.04 million municipal budget, town and school officials must have a new revision ready to present to taxpayers for another vote in two weeks.

Tuesday, with about 37 percent of eligible voters casting a ballot, the budget proposed for 2011-12 was rejected by a vote of 1,867 against and 1,500 in favor. If it had been approved it would have required a 30.28 mill tax rate.

Tonight, town council members will consider the failed $10.82 million general government spending and $35.14 million school system request. It might also consider amending the $335,501 and $4.75 million for capital expenses and debt service, respectively.

After emerging from an hour-long caucus with fellow Democratic council members, Council Chairman Frederick Daniels said that the prevailing wisdom is that when a budget fails it means that voters want it reduced.

He would not say where the council might cut from, but said that the proposed budget was more than one month old, and the council will consider any new information from the state (the General Assembly approved the governor’s budget Tuesday) and review the results of the school administration’s attempt to get more teachers to enroll in a benefit package that is less costly for the town.

Previously Town Manager Steven Werbner had recommended a budget that proposed the school board received 2.45 percent more in funding than the current year; school officials had requested 6.5 percent more than the current year. Werbner based his recommendation, in part, on his belief that if about 80 percent of the teaching staff chose a health savings account plan over the traditional medical coverage the school district would benefit from significant savings in insurance costs.

Town council members decided that the proposal was too risky, and that if teachers did not make the switch it would result in too deep of a reduction in education funding. The council approved a budget that included 3.9 more for education.

Superintendent of Schools William Guzman said last week that as of Wednesday 29 teachers had enrolled in the HSA elective, the district needed 17 to enroll to make up for the amount reduced by the council.

After the vote tally was ready by Democratic Registrar of Voters R. Michael Wyman, advocates of the school budget said they were disappointed in the budget’s failure.

“I am still in disbelief that it failed... I thought for sure that FTS (Friends of Tolland Schools) efforts to spread the word would pay off this year,” parent Susie Lotreck wrote in an e-mail. “I am very saddened.... this is a big loss in so many ways for our town, our schools and our kids. “

Ken Kittredge, chairman of the school friends group, said that he thought the council’s budget was reasonable and had hoped people would support the proposal.

Yet resident Mike Pascuzzi said the vote showed that a great percentage of people think their taxes are too high. He said that taxpayers have little ability to control the taxes imposed by Hartford, but know that they can have a significant voice on how money is spent within their town. He said Tuesday night they voted no to a municipal tax increase.

The council’s meeting to discuss budget revisions is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tonight in the council chambers on the sixth floor of the Hicks Memorial Municipal Center.