Wilton Town Meeting Set For Tuesday

WILTON. CT — The town will be holding its Annual Town Meeting at the Wilton High School Clune Center on Tuesday, May 7, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Residents will have their first opportunity to vote on the budgets at the conclusion of the meeting Tuesday night, but it won't be their only one. Voting will continue Saturday, May 11, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., also at the Clune Center.

The Police Department, Public Works Department, Fire Department and Library top the list of beneficiaries in the spending plan being proposed by the Board of Selectmen:

• First Selectman/Economic Development $354,602
• Town Counsel 234,600
• Board of Finance 64,521
• Human Resources/Administration 610,726
• Finance/Info Systems 2,329,143
• Benefits/Insurance 955,234
• Land Use 1,974,373
• Public Works 5,283,766
• Police 8,460,567
• Fire 5,044,364
• Parks, Recreation/Grounds 1,753,811
• Social Services 738,798
• Ambler Farm 34,316
• Georgetown Fire District 400,000
• Library 2,802,105
• Trackside 98,000
• School Health Nursing 798,874
• Public Health Nursing 147,363
• WVAC 98,000
• Paramedic Services 308,768
• Private School Services 20,171
• Route 7 Bus 5,000
• Probate Court 20,000
• Wilton Garden Club 5,000

The total operating budget as proposed by the selectmen is $32,542,102, a zero percent increase over their current budget. Add to that their plan for capital expenditures ($959,897) and the total proposed Board of Selectmen budget totals $33,501,999.

The budget as proposed by the Board of Education has gone a series of cuts since it was first presented earlier this year, reflecting concerns over declining student enrollment and aid from Hartford, and sits at $81,876,563. That's a zero percent increase over the current budget

With Debt Service set at $10,153,497 and Charter Authority at $1,255,321, the total proposed operating expense for 2019-20 is $126,787,380.

Voters will also weigh separately on four bonding resolutions: Bridge replacement ($1,300,000), school district roof replacement ($600,000), Town Hall roof replacement ($350,000) and paving for roads and town parking lot ($3,398,150).

Voters will have the option of approving the budget as proposed, rejecting it because they think it is too low, or rejecting it because they think it is too high. Voter turnout must be at least fifteen percent of the town population for the referendum to stick, and recent history has shown that's no easy quorum to obtain.