Bethany 2011-2012 Budget Hearing April 18, 2011

A brief summary of what was discussed at last night’s Budget Hearing for those who want to know what's happening, but can't make it to the meetings:

Bethany Board of Finance Chairwoman Janet Brunwin presented the 2011 -2012 recommended budget at the town meeting which was attended by about 60 residents. Brunwin apologized for the date falling on the first day of Passover and during spring break which caused some people to miss it; the board was under the assumption they had to schedule the hearing for the third Monday in April, which she said turned out to be false. Those who would still like to see the budget and comment on it can visit the Town of Bethany website and follow the directions to the budget that are on the homepage. Also, comments or questions may be sent to the board at bof@bethany-ct.com.

According to Brunwin, while last year was a, “very nice budget year” with about $200,000 in the black, the coming year is not looking very rosy. Permit fees are down (-$54,000), as are interest earnings (-$45,000) and State of CT funding     (-$32,000).  Snow and ice removal took its toll last winter with a deficit of $145,000 against the projected costs. 

Some items of note from the presentation (please see full budget online for the complete summary)

• Total projected deficit for the coming year is almost $124,000.
• Total budget expenditures are up by .3 percent.
• The grand list is up .3 percent
• Non-tax revenues are down by -5.7 percent.
• Bethany’s share paid into the Amity school system is down because it is proportional to how many students attend the district schools. The number of students has declined by 1.5 percent, while Orange and Woodbridge will be paying for more students. Amity’s budget has increased by 1.52 percent.
• The Bethany Board of Education budget has a zero percent increase for the coming year.
• The cost of the town’s fuel is increasing by 15.3 percent.
• The BOF has raised its amount for snow removal from $130,000 to $195,000 to more accurately reflect the actual cost of removal. They reached this number by averaging the costs of 2008 through 2010, not using this past winter, which was not considered a normal amount of snow.
• The general fund balance (which is an accumulation of surpluses over the years) is $2,410,432. The BOF tries to keep it at 10 to 14 percent of expenditures, and it is currently at 11.8 percent.
• To compensate for the projected deficit, the proposed increase in the mill rate would be from 27.55 to 28.06, which is 1.85 percent. For a $250,000 property, that would mean an increase in taxes from $6,888 to $7,015, which is a total $128 or slightly over $10 per month.

Resident concerns during the question and answer session focused on the roads, including the costs of repairs, which roads were on the list to repair, and what was the town’s plan to address ongoing road problems. The Bethany Board of Education also received a great deal of attention, especially since student enrollment numbers are expected to decrease over the coming years. Also, the ongoing maintenance of Town Hall is a concern. Several residents suggested cutting town staff to compensate for the deficit, while one suggested a 2 percent cut across the entire budget so there would be no tax increase this year. 

Brunwin said all comments would be taken into consideration before the town vote on May 16, and the BOF encouraged residents to submit any other comments through email and they would be considered.