Ketcham Proposes 2.4 Percent Increase for Redding Town, Education Budgets

The collective proposed Redding town budget increase, which includes the Redding Board of Education, Region 9 and town government budgets, is $1,071,303, up 2.4 percent from last year’s total, making the new total budget for 2011-2012 $13,074,089. Summarized budgets were presented during a forum at the on Thursday night by First Selectman Natalie Ketcham and school board chairman Jess Gaspar.

Bridge Repairs, New Vehicles, Open Space Manager

Governmental expenditures included contractual salaries ($39,477), a 20 percent increase in gasoline to go into effect post-Sept. 1 contractual agreements ($23,000 increase), highway vehicle repair ($20,000 increase), a state-mandated property revaluation ($90,000), health insurance costs ($85,000) and retirement funds ($80,000).

New expenditures are: bridge repair and maintenance ($50,000), the hiring of an open space manager ($15,000) and capital equipment costs for the purchase of new vehicles for the highway department ($86,461 a year for five years with a budgeted four percent interest: a total of $397,968).

“What makes and keeps Redding, Redding” was the thought process behind creating this budget, said Ketcham.

The new open space manger, who will probably be shared with Bethel, would help keep fields cut, remove invasive plants, and help keep Redding’s open space free of illegal activity, Ketcham added.

Equipment for the highway department includes a new tractor, a fork lift, a police cruiser, aeration equipment, a three-yard loader, a new Jeep with plow, a tractor boom, and a Bobcat.

Ketcham said that the proposed budget “improves facilities, emergency dispatch protocols, [helps fund the] , adds funds for roadway guardrails” and includes three police speed monitors, as well as helps monitor 2,800 acres of open space.

Mike D’Agostino of Glenn Hill Road, asked if there were three cruisers asked for last year, is there still enough money to go around for the additional two cruisers, since only one is asked for in this budget.

“Yes," Ketcham responded, "and we are hopeful and optimistic that we will have enough money coming from other sources for the other two cruisers.”

Savings

Savings came in the form of a retired building department member, whose position will not be re-staffed until deemed necessary ($88,000); bonding fees ($20,000); shared online technological services with the school board ($18,000); shared animal control with Bethel ($16,840); computer maintenance, which negated the need for some new, public computers ($10,000); and a renegotiated electricity contract ($10,000 per year).

School Board’s Budget

“We’ve made fewer cuts to programs this year,” said Gaspar, who said the school board has listened to “community feedback” which said that “further cuts were not warranted nor required.”

The request of an additional $703,316 is 3.41 percent more than last year’s educational budget. The total budget is $21,353,543.

“[Redding is] in good financial shape, thanks to the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance,” said Gaspar.

“However, we need to be cognizant” of less affluent citizens and “perhaps not get everything” desired, rather than needed, said Gaspar, referencing Redding’s 5 percent unemployment rate, and also noting that many people are underworked.

The average increase for the 13 neighboring area district towns, including Wilton, Ridgefield, Bethel, Westport, Weston, and Darien, is 3.4 percent.

80% of Budget Allotted for Special Ed, General Salaries

The main drivers for the budget were for special education and general instructional salaries, each one making up 40% of the budget.

The school board had to compensate for a loss of $134,000 (20 percent of the proposed in $703,316 increase) in state aid for special education.

Salaries for teachers increased by 3.2 percent, or $272,000; 1.2 percent of that $272,000 is an increase to merit-based pay, which “increases pay for [teachers with] more experience,” said Gaspar.

Other costs for the 3.41 percent increase included asbestos abatement and an increase in fuel costs.

Questions and Comments

Members of the public expressed their support of the education budget.

“I think that merit pay, that is actually measuring [the effectiveness of] teachers, is something that would get you . . . universal support from the community,” said Lou Andrews of High Ridge Road.

“[We should] reward individual merit with real accomplishment,” said Andrews.

“Is your thesis for Redding to be #1”  in Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) scores, asked Board of Finance member Rand Guffey.

“No,” replied Gaspar. “If we’re at the top, we might be too CMT-focused…we consider CMTs to be a baseline standard.”

Region 9 Comments

Mark Lewis, chair of Region 9's board, spoke briefly on Region 9. He said that they are working on a 2.5 percent increase in their budget. Region 9 expects to have a 5% increase in enrollment and about $600,000 in budget decreases.

Negotiations with “non-certified staff are going very well,” said Lewis.

Region 9 will meet on Monday, March 7 at 7 p.m. at Joel Barlow High School. The Redding school board will meet March 15, at 7 p.m. at John Read Middle School.