Tempers Flare, $2.5M In School Funding Restored At Fairfield Budget Meeting

FAIRFIELD, CT — Tempers flared Thursday at a nearly-six-hour meeting of the Fairfield Board of Finance, during which members voted by a narrow margin to restore $2.5 million in education funding that was cut earlier in the town’s annual budget process.

Republican members called the restoration “astronomical” and “wasteful,” while Democrats argued it wasn’t the right time to deny the school board the full amount it requested.

The money was restored before the Board of Finance approved the 2023 town budget, increasing expenses by $2.3 million compared to the spending plan greenlit last month by the Board of Selectmen. The altered budget, which will next go to the Representative Town Meeting, totals $345.1 million, after school spending was increased by 1.25 percent and town spending was cut by 0.15 percent.

The budget passed 5-4, a common margin Thursday that reflected the Democrat-Republican divide on the finance board. With the higher budget number, Fairfield's mill rate is expected to increase by either 1.29 percent or 1.47 percent, depending on whether the tax collection rate is boosted later in the budget process.

The school funding restoration dominated Thursday’s proceedings. First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick in February proposed a town budget that reduced Board of Education spending from a $10.4 million increase to a $7.9 million hike. After Thursday, the school board budget totals $202.5 million.

“This is a drastic, drastic increase,” Board of Finance member James Walsh said, taking particular issue with the school district’s plans to spend some of the money on a high-tech scoreboard and public relations representative.

The requested school board budget would include the largest such increase to date in Fairfield, according to Walsh.

“I’m fearful of setting a new baseline,” finance board member Chris DeWitt said during the meeting, held via Webex.

Member Jack Testani referenced a letter Superintendent Mike Cummings sent to parents detailing potential budget cuts if the funding was not restored. Testani described the communication as “unconscionable.” Among the possible cuts in the letter were: the removal of kindergarten and library paraprofessionals, class sizes increases, and foregoing computer purchases.

Kupchick addressed the proposed funding restoration with a fiery rebuttal, calling Cummings’ proposed cuts “draconian” and “political.”

“I’m just asking for the members of the Board of Finance to open up the education budget book and tell me that there’s not any — any — page in it to find savings that don’t impact children,” she said. “This sends a very clear message to our public school system: Don’t try to save any money.”

Board of Finance Chair Lori Charlton said she found some statements Thursday about the school district budget “offensive,” noting the Board of Education had more than $400,000 in new insurance costs that were not included in the original school spending plan.

Finance board member Kevin Starke argued that given the coronavirus pandemic, reducing requested education funds was not appropriate.

“I can’t see how this is the right year to stiff our kids,” he said.

Board discussions remained heated during another proposal, which eventually passed, to cut $850,000 in risk management funding for claims. Member Craig Curley argued the fund already contained $6 million and grew $1.5 million the previous year.

Walsh felt the reduction was “reckless” and “irresponsible,” remarking the fund had seen a more than $2 million deficit in past years.

“Everybody’s so much smarter than the experts we have,” Walsh said, referring to Curley’s “rookieness” on the board. “I can’t even believe this is coming up for a vote.”

Curley took issue with Walsh’s statement.

“Jim, stop making those type of comments,” he said. “You treat me like I’m a 2-year-old and I don’t appreciate it.”

Starke supported Curley, arguing town experts were being overly conservative, and citing his and Curley’s private sector experience. When Walsh countered that it was inappropriate for board members to assume they were more qualified than professionals hired by the town, Starke responded with an insult.

“You are an imbecile on finance,” he said. “You know nothing.”

At that point, Charlton interjected to restore order — a step she took several times throughout the meeting.

“I might be an imbecile but I do not believe that it’s overfunded at all,” Walsh said of the risk management claim line item. “I think it sends a bad message. There’s now a cliff in the budget.”

Other fiercely debated board decisions Thursday included adding $800,000 in asphalt paving to avoid bonding the funds, cutting $350,000 in contingency money and removing $118,971 from human resources, a move Kupchick said would prevent her from installing a diversity officer.