Human Services And Water Pollution Control Authority Present Budgets

The recession may be over, but for many residents in Stonington things haven’t gotten better.

Members of the and the presented their 2011-2012 budgets to the Board of Finance Wednesday night.

Human Services Department

“Well the good news is that in June 2009 the experts told us that the great recession had ended,” Human Services Director Beth Stewart said. “The bad news is I’m not sure the average American who lives in Connecticut has gotten the news.”

The department requested $1,160,557 for the 2011-2012 fiscal year and the proposed department funding in the First Selectman’s budget was $992,768, an increase of 3.4 percent, or $35,804, over the 2010-2011 budget.

Funding for the Human Services Department includes human services, the Commission on Aging, recreation, the Housing Authority, libraries and other outside agencies.

The majority of the difference between the department’s request and  First Selectman Edward Haberek Jr.'s proposed budget came from outside agencies.

Stewart shared unemployment and food stamp statistics with the board of finance. In 2008, 451 Stonington residents were unemployment. In 2010, that number rose to 696. In 2008, 572 residents qualified for food stamps. In 2010, that number rose to 1019. In other words, there are 1019 people in Stonington living under the federal poverty rate.

Among the goals of the 2011-2012 fiscal year are expanding the Stonington Community Garden and addressing the infrastructure needs at Spellman Park.

Stewart commended the ability of the many branches within the Human Services Department to work together and also praised the outside agencies for their collaboration in serving the community, saying all the agencies continue to see a greater need.

Water Pollution Control Authority

The WPCA requested $381,291 for fiscal year 2011-2012. That represents a 7.27 percent decrease in funding from the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The WPCA received a one-time reimbursement from the CT Clean Water Fund during the 2010-2011 year.

During the upcoming year, the WPCA will begin construction on wastewater treatment facilities improvements that the public voted to approve in November.

Budget Schedule

Feb. 16: General Government and Capital Improvement Projects

March 9: Board of Education

March 16: Budget Deliberations

March 23 Budget Deliberations

April 13: Public Hearing

With the exception of the public hearing all meetings will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Stonington Police Department meeting room. While formal public comment won’t occur until the April hearing the public is welcome to attend all of the budget meetings.