This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
05/04/2021 01:22 PMA public hearing on the town of Deep River’s budget for fiscal year 2021–22 (’22) was held on April 28, drawing relatively few comments from citizens.
The preliminary budget asks for $19,269,178 in total expenditures, representing a $968,409 or 5.29 percent increase from fiscal year 2020-21 (’21). A 0.49 decrease to the mill rate is also being proposed, from the 29.99 mill rate in the current fiscal year to 29.50 for ’22.
Plans are underway to use $46,763 from the town’s General Fund to reduce the tax burden; that move would bring the fund to $2,012,504, or 10.44 percent, of total expenditures.
Most of the increase in expenditures is due to a $700,000 line item designated for a new fire truck, according to the town’s budget document. Other capital expenses are expected to decrease by $51,635 and ordinary expenditures are expected to increase by $320,044.
The town estimates a total of $19,222,415 in revenues, an increase of $1,131,281 or 6.25 percent, from current year. Tax revenue is anticipated to increase by $405,316; all other town revenues are expected to increase by $142,510.
The town is anticipating a $116,545 decrease in the category of state and federal grants. The town’s revenue also includes capital borrowing for the fire truck in the amount of $700,000.
The town’s Grand List increased by $22,846,852, from $510,593,265 in current year to $533,440,117 for ’22. With a tax collection rate of 98 percent, the town anticipates having $15,421,754 in tax revenue available, an increase of $415,316 from current year, according to the budget document.
Citizens of Deep River will vote on the budget at the town’s annual town meeting, scheduled for Monday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Presentation by the Board of Finance
George “Bud” Eckenroth, chair of the Board of Finance, presented the proposed budget at the public hearing.
In discussing expenditures, he said that a $700,000 expenditure to finance a new fire truck would not impact the ’22 budget, as the first debt payment would not be due until fiscal year 2022-’23.
Categories seeing increases, as identified by Eckenroth in his presentation, include education, which constitutes about 71 percent of the total budget; infrastructure, which makes up about 9 percent of the budget; and public safety, which makes up about 5 percent.
The area of general town administration, making up approximately 14 percent of the budget, will see a proposed decrease.
In the area of education, Eckenroth presented a $186,483 increase, from $13,012,615 in ’21 to a proposed $13,199,098 in ’22.
The education funding includes a $5,569,705 budget for Deep River Elementary School (DRES), a $105,550 or 1.93 percent increase in spending over the current year. This proposal is a $90,026 reduction from the $5,659,731 budget approved by the Deep River Board of Education (BOE) on March 18. It also includes the town’s share of costs for Region 4 at $7,564,393, which is anticipated to be approved at a referendum on May 4.
Capital items for the elementary school are also included in the category of education. They include $25,000 in roof repairs and $40,000 for other capital items, which is $20,000 less than the amount requested by the BOE.
Infrastructure, as identified by Eckenroth in his presentation, includes the highway department, waste and recycling, the library, parks and recreation, public health nursing service and parks upgrades. This area saw a proposed $83,998 increase, from $1,667,862 in ’21 to $1,751,860 in ’22, according to Eckenroth.
The area of public safety, as identified by Eckenroth in his presentation, includes police, the Fire Department, the fire marshal, public service communications, civil preparedness, public utilities, and two additional items for the Fire Department, stations and breathing air filling station and tanks. This area saw a proposed $83,119 increase, from $919,548 in ’21 to a proposed $1,002,667 in ’22, according to Eckenroth.
Public Comment
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the public hearing on the ’22 budget in Deep River took place in a hybrid format. There were approximately 24 members of the public at the meeting, with about 12 in the town’s auditorium and about 12 attending online, by Zoom.
Three citizens offered input on the proposed budget during the meeting, with the first speaker asking about a specific line item and how the shortfall was being funded.
The second citizen to offer comment, Dan Morrissey, questioned why the mill rate was not in line with certain cost of living indexes.
“I think it would be prudent for the town, in the future, to maybe target that Social Security cost of living increase, as our percentage increase for our mill rate,” he said. “Having a target for zero causes us to cut budget items that result in a loss of services. It also cuts things like capital needs assessments on town facilities.
“Without those assessments, we can’t project forward and we end up in situations where we have unpredictable emergency expenses that are unavoidable,” he continued.
Marc Lewis, who is a member on the BOE, discussed the figures used for education in Eckenroth’s presentation.
“I was troubled with the fact that some of the comparisons that were put forth in that presentation were a bit inaccurate,” said Lewis. “And I would say they were inaccurate in the sense that you can’t use percentages and then you can’t use absolute numbers at the same time and expect anyone to draw any kind of useful conclusion.”
Lewis also asked that the $90,000 cut to the elementary school’s budget for ’22 be reconsidered.
A copy of Deep River’s proposed budget is available at www.deepriverct.us/board-finance.