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Essex Budget Heads to Voters

Essex voters will be asked to weigh in on a sub-one-percent spending increase at the Monday, May 11 budget referendum at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall.

The total proposed 2015-2016 Town of Essex budget is $23,251,935, which includes the town government portion ($7,456,687), the Region 4 Essex share ($8,192,147), and the Essex Board of Education budget, which accounts for $7,603,101 of the budget. In total it is a 0.85 percent increase over the current year’s budget.

Some major drivers in the increase include salaries and benefits, professional fees, and outside service contracts.

“We are guesstimating that there will be less than a tenth of a mill increase in town,” said First Selectman Norm Needleman at the budget public hearing.

“A tenth of a mill increase, or less, is the lowest in the 17 towns that make up the Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments, which Essex belongs to, so I am happy to say that we are keeping a lid on costs in town while still providing quality services to our residents and a top-notch education to our students,” Needleman said.

In the government expenditures budget, the largest portion of the budget is consumed by salaries, accounting for 27.7 percent of the budget. The next largest portion is fringe benefits at 13.5 percent of the budget, then 12.2 percent for debt services, 11.8 percent to support for outside organizations, 11.4 percent for outside services contracts, 5.4 percent for supplies and office expenses, 5.0 percent for maintenance and repairs, 4.1 percent transfer to the sinking fund, 3.7 percent to professional fees, 2.2 percent to capital expenditures, 1.1 percent to other purchased supplies, 1.0 percent to the contingency fund, 0.7 percent to office equipment, and 0.1 percent to support for other funds.

Some relief is experienced in this upcoming budget year on the education expenditures side of the budget due to declining enrollment. The Essex Elementary School proposed budget realized a decrease of 2.59 percent in total operational and contractual costs, which led to the budget request of $7,603,101, a decrease from last fiscal year’s budget of 1.80 percent.

“We are in a population free fall at Essex Elementary School,” said Essex Board of Education (BOE) Chairman Lon Seidman. “In the last couple of years we have gone from a population of 548 to 407.”

Consequently this budget reflects the reduction of two classroom teaching positions, which results in a cost savings of $139,229.

Another area of considerable savings for the Essex BOE comes in heating fuel, which is down $40,750 due to the switch to natural gas at the school.

“This budget exceeds our expectations on revenue in every way, and that’s the way you want it to be,” Needleman said.

The referendum to vote on this budget will be held on May 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall. For more information, visit www.essexct.gov.