Trumbull Council Committee Recommends $152M Budget

The Town Council Finance Committee added $20,000 back to the Trumbull Business Education Initiative before recommending a $152 million budget for 2013-2014.

The full Council will take up the budget Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Town Hall, where it must finalize the spending plan. But the council can add only what the Board of Finance cut and cannot exceed the first selectman's recommendation.

In comparison to proposed $152 million, the 2012-2013 budget is $146.7 million, including supplemental appropriations, said Finance Director Maria Pires.

The Council committee left the education budget at $92.9 million, or at the 2.74 percent increase recommended by First Selectman Tim Herbst.

The school board had asked for a 4.56 percent increase, and must now remove $1.862 million from its request. With the request, the school district seeks another guidance counselor and has to cover increases in health premiums and salaries.

Opposition

Committee members Gregg Basbagill and Vicki Tesoro said they opposed voting for the budget when three bonding items had not been discussed: $1 million for Trumbull High School turf, $832,000 for school security and $1.3 million for the school's technology upgrade plan prescribed in a study.

"I don't know what the full explanation of those bonds is," Basbagill said.

Earlier in the meeting, Basbagill had said, "I wish we would fund technology more routinely than bonding it every five years."

Tesoro said she did not want to assume that those bonding proposals would pass.

There is also $875,000 set aside in a separate account that is not considered part of the 2013-2014 education proposal.

Regarding the $20,000 addition to BEI, Basbagill noted that it would help the initiative with software and hardware, including broadcasting more town meetings and events.

The Council and the Board of Finance will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. in Town Hall to discuss the bonding, the day after the Council's budget vote.