East Granby Budget Referendum is Today

East Granby voters will have their say at a referendum today at the on the proposed $19.07 million 2012-13 town budget.

The referendum is actually a continuation of the Annual Town Meeting, which was adjourned on April 25 to today.

The polls are open from from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Among the budget highlights are the following:

2.8 Percent Increase for Government Operations

The proposed general government budget is $4.23 million, which represents a $116,400 (or 2.8 percent) increase over current levels.

Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone every day with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here.

At the Town Meeting on April 25, First Selectman James Hayden said that the general government budget 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.

Hayden said that the spending increase is driven 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.

The budget, according to Hayden, 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.

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.

At the Town Meeting, Superintendent of Schools Christine Mahoney said that much of the spending increase was due to contractual obligations, either through collective bargaining or through vendor services.

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.