Tax Increase Proposed In Wallingford

WALLINGFORD, CT — This year’s budget process on the state and local levels is so volatile that Wallingford Mayor William Dickinson Jr. is proposing something that he is usually opposed to – dipping into the town’s “rainy day” fund.

As part of his $162.14 million budget for fiscal 2017-18, which represents a 2.2-percent increase over the current spending plan, Dickinson is recommending using $7.2 million of the town’s reserves, according to the New Haven Register.

Luther Turmelle of the Register reports Dickinson is proposing using about one-third of the rainy day fund to fill financial holes created by the reductions in state aid to towns. The amount might increase if state legislators approve Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s controversial proposal to pass on teacher pension payments to towns, in which Wallingford would have to pay $5 million for its share.

Dickinson is recommending the use of the reserve funds to give people and businesses “some sense of certainty,” according to Turmelle, who also reports the proposed budget would increase the town’s tax rate by 0.68 mill, or 2.44 percent.

Included in Dickinson's proposed budget is a 1.8-percent increase for the Board of Education, which had sought a 2.99-percent increase.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Salvatore Menzo said .52 percent of the school board’s initial request was for Strategic Plan items. The difference between the mayor’s recommendation and the board’s requested spending is more than $1.2 million, according to Menzo.

“Our goal is to try to maintain as many of our present sustained services as possible,” Menzo said in an email to parents. “Most likely the items in the Strategic Plan portion of the budget request will not be moved forward. If that is the case, the reduction to the Sustained Services Budget will be approximately $700,000.

“Needless to say, this is a significant reduction; however, we have already begun working on trying to identify savings that will have the least impact on students. In the coming weeks as we can solidify our ideas based on reviewing new class sizes data and the survey data from staff and parents from this year and last, we will provide more specifics.”

Residents can hear more about the school budget at several upcoming meetings. A budget workshop/public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20. The Board of Education budget will be presented at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27.

The Town Council is expected to vote on the budget at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9.

All of the meetings will be held at Town Hall and public comment is available at each meeting.

Read more about the mayor’s proposed budget at the New Haven Register here.