East Granby Budget Now in Hands of Voters

The proposed $19.07 million 2012-13 town budget is now in the hands of East Granby residents.

The town took the final step before a vote is cast on May 8 by hosting the Annual Town Meeting Wednesday evening at the .

At the meeting, officials from the Board of Finance, Board of Selectmen and Board of Education presented their portion of the budget to some 40 residents in attendance.

2.8 Percent Increase for Government Operations

First Selectman James Hayden presented the $4.23 million general government budget, which represents a $116,400 (or 2.8 percent) increase over current funding.

The general government budget, according to Hayden, does not contain any new initiatives and eliminates two part-time positions (animal control officer and youth services) through shared services agreements with Suffield and Granby, respectively.

The spending increase is driven, Hayden said, by, among other things, a 12 percent hike in the cost of health insurance, the retirement of the longtime town engineer that will add $10,000 to the line item, higher costs of fuel and equipment for the department of public works ($21,000), and a $20,000 raise in the ambulance association’s budget.

Hayden said that the budget also includes several enhancements, such as online dog licenses, online access to assessor property cards, reverse 911 for emergency communication with residents and electronic invoices and ACH capability at the tax office.

The police budget of $551,080 includes a decrease of $30,791 under current levels, which is due to the overtime reimbursement to CL&P, not a reduced level of services, Hayden said.

Hayden said that, in the future, the following items will need to be addressed: six miles of roads in East Granby are still rated “poor;” deferred roof replacements for Town Hall, Public Safety and the Community/Senior Center; Village Center lighting and streetscapes; field expansions at East Granby Farms; and the potential expansion of the Community/Senior Center.

Schools Call for 4.46 Percent Increase

The Board of Education budget request is $14.2 million, representing a $606,001 - or 4.46 percent - increase over current funding.

School board Chairman Kirby Huget reminded those in attendance that “no one is looking for opportunities to spend more money.”

“Education is expensive,” he said.

The major drivers of the spending increase are salaries of certified staff ($235,438 increase), salaries for non-certified staff ($165,613), group health and life insurance ($127,922), professional services ($89,055) and contracted maintenance services (60,754).

The school district is also adding all-day kindergarten to the curriculum.

Mahoney said that much of the spending increase was due to contractual obligations, either through collective bargaining or through vendor services. She said that the school district also worked with current vendors “to hold the line” or reduce costs as much as possible.

“We take every opportunity to save dollars wherever possible,” Mahoney said.

There are also built-in efficiencies in the budget, even with the spending increase. For example, Mahoney said that the cost of a non-certified paraprofessional at $13,000 to $14,000 per year was far less than it would cost taxpayers if the school district outplaced a student with medium-level special needs. Such an outplacement could cost up to $400,000 annually, Mahoney said.

“It’s certainly more cost effective … to provide services to keep them here,” Mahoney said.

In addition, to prevent a higher spending increase, the school district is adding 50 new CHOICE students, which will bring in $327,000 in reimbursement from the state (six kindergarteners at $10,500 per student and 44 students at $6,000 per pupil).

The increase in spending comes at a time when enrollment has declined from its height of 942 in 2006 to its current level of 846 in 2011-12. Mahoney said that the decline in the number of students may be attributed to the proliferation of magnet schools as a result of the landmark Sheff v. O’Neil lawsuit.

After several questions from those in attendance, the meeting was adjourned to the referendum, which will be held on May 8 at the Community/Senior Center from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Absentee ballots will be available at the Town Clerk’s office.