Town Manager Karl Kilduff has presented the Town Council with his initial proposed budget. The total proposed budget is $59,826,741, a 2.28 percent or $1,334,178 increase from the current year’s budget.

The total budget is made up of a town budget and an education budget. The proposed education budget is $37,789,053, a $642,037 or a 1.73 percent increase. The proposed town budget is $22,037,505 a $684,758 or a 3.20 percent increase. Kilduff mentioned at the Feb. 9 special meeting that the numbers in the proposed budget were likely to change as the budget process continues.

While spending increases under this proposed budget, the tax rate would only increase 0.91 percent. Kilduff explained that the difference between the budget increase and the tax rate is due to growth in the Grand List and the appropriation of money in the fund balance to pay for capital projects. The mill rate would increase 0.27 mills or 0.91 percent to 30.10 mills. Kilduff said that this would increase the average Clinton taxpayer’s bill $58.97.

During the presentation, Kilduff explained that the town would appropriate $250,000 from the fund balance to reduce the tax rate increase as well as an applied fund balance of $1,345,000 to fund significant capital projects. Growth in the fund balance allows the town to use the fund this, way Kilduff explained.

Proposed capital projects—spending on items that last longer than a budget cycle like vehicles or roof repairs—include things like radio replacement, fire apparatus reserve replacement, and funding for paving on the town side.

On the education side, the proposed capital budget includes items like improvements to the gym floors at the Joel School and Eliot School, computer upgrades, security and network upgrades, and other maintenance work.

On the town side, the proposed budget is made up of an operating budget of $17,340,364 (a $736,791 or 4.44 percent increase), debt service of $2,195,778 (a $170,518 or 8.42 percent increase), and a capital budget of $2,501,363 (a $215,351 51 or 7.93 percent decrease).

The largest drivers of the increase on the town side include the addition of a fulltime town planner position, which Kilduff said was added at the consensus of the Town Council, an increase in the cost of solid waste transport, insurance increases, and pandemic and inflation uncertainty.

The proposed education budget is composed of an operating budget of $34,552,204 (a $641,147 or 1.89 percent increase), debt service of $2,890,979 (a $245,180 or 7.82 percent decrease), and a capital budget of $346,053 (a $246,253 or a 246.75 percent increase.)

On the education side the largest driver of change was an increase in salary and benefits.

Though both the town and education budgets comprise the total budget, when voters get to approve the budget at a referendum in May they will vote on the town and education budgets separately.

During the meeting, Kilduff mentioned multiple times that the proposed budget is subject to change. Certain revenues such as educational cost sharing money and the exact amount of money coming from the board of assessment appeals hearings are assumed. As the budget season continues and the exact quantities are known, the proposed budget will be adjusted.

The Process

The Feb. 9 meeting was called so that Kilduff and Superintendent of Schools Maryann O’Donnell could make a presentation on the initial proposed town and education budgets to the council members. As it was intended to be an overview, specific line items were not discussed.

Now, the budget has moved into the hands of the Town Council members. The council is the body that has ultimate say in proposing a finalized budget. The council will have more in-depth discussions at the budget workshops held during the rest of February where each individual department has its budget reviewed line by line. The Town Council will finalize the budget proposal that will be sent to a public hearing.

A complete schedule for the workshops is available on the town’s website clintonct.org.

Following all the workshops, the council will hold a special meeting scheduled for Wednesday, March 2 at 6 p.m. to vote on Kilduff’s proposed budget. At that meeting the council can accept or ask for changes to be made to Kilduff’s proposed budget. The proposed budget approved by the Town Council in March will be sent to a public hearing scheduled for Wednesday, April 6 at 6 p.m.

At the public hearing, speakers can voice their opinions for or against either the education or town budget. Immediately following the public hearing, the Town Council will hold a special meeting at which it can make any last changes to either the education or town budget before sending the budget to referendum in May.

At the referendum residents vote to approve or reject the proposed town and education budgets individually. Since voters cast their vote for each budget separately, that means it is possible for voters to pass one budget and reject the other in the same referendum.

If one or both of the budgets fail, it is revised by the Town Council immediately following the vote. Another public hearing is held the following week and another referendum is held the week after the public hearing.

The Harbor News/Zip06.com will follow the budget process and will have more in depth looks at each budget as the process continues.