North Branford's Town Council has voted to recommend a 2022-'23 Town of North Branford budget of $58,704,902, an increase $3,684,472 or 6.7 percent over the approved 2021-'22 budget. If adopted, the budget will require a mill rate of 33.23 mills, up 0.09 mills or 0.27 percent from the current rate of 33.14 mills. The $58.70 million budget includes next year's $32.73 million 2022-'23 schools' budget. Debt service (bond repayment) will cost the town $3,705,619 in the next fiscal year.

The town's tax collection projections had to be adjusted just ahead of the council's vote on April 19 to include anticipation of Governor Ned Lamont's mill rate caps concerning car taxes, expected to allow for no higher taxation above a rate of 29 mills. As it stands currently, the town would need to make up roughly 0.17 mills, or $250,000, as a tax increase to make up for that loss.

"Basically, it's nothing we have control over. We took care of everything we had control over in our budget, but unfortunately, we have to plan for this," said council member Rose Marie Angeloni.

To help offset taxation, the council voted, during its final budget deliberations on April 19, to include $800,000 as revenue from the General Fund surplus. That's an increase of $200,000 from the $600,000 in the town manager's proposed $57,589,042 town budget, which had also proposed an annual expenditure increase of $2,568,612 or 4.67 percent.

Board of Education

As previously reported, in February, the Board of Education (BOE) voted to recommend its proposed budget of $33,937,674 equaling an increase of $1,501,960, or 4.63 percent, over the 2021-'22 budget.

Working with Superintendent of Schools Scott Schoonmaker, Angeloni said the goal was to "fund the BOE request at a level that would not be detrimental to our mill rate and increase it greatly. And we became very creative in our thinking of different funding sources to use to do this."

The resulting package, which now includes other types of funding streams for the BOE such as that to be received by the town through the state's special education excess cost grant, was introduced to the Town Council at its April 19 meeting by Angeloni. She also presented the motion that the BOE 2022-'23 budget receive an annual increase of $300,000 over the current year, for a total budget of $32,735,714.

"I'd like to thank everyone on the council and Rose for reaching out yesterday," said Schoonmaker, speaking to the council on April 19. "I think on both sides of the aisle, we worked really well together and came up with some great ideas. And in 13 years, I think this is one of the smoothest [budget sessions] that we've had, so thank you.

"That's the goal," replied Mayor Jeffrey Macmillen. "Better communication amongst all entities that are North Branford. So thank you, very much."

Capital Improvement Projects

Between changes made to proposed budget during its workshops on April 11 and on April 19, the council voted to use $2,297,640 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to fund capital projects.

Among Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) approved for the budget on April 19 by the council were:

Using $850,000 from the town's Undesignated Fund Balance for construction of a 5,000 square-foot Public Works storage maintenance building, to be constructed behind the current Public Works Department. The building will also be utilized for maintenance equipment storage for the BOE and Parks and Recreation Department.

The council also approved reconditioning the surface of Stanley T. Williams' lighted multi-use courts, popular for pickleball, by using $97,000 from the undesignated fund balance and by reallocating five-year close-out funds totaling $133,000 in CIP. Temporary court repair will take place soon to allow use in the coming warm weather season, then the court will be fully reconditioned off-season in the fall. The newly revised court will be striped for 10 pickle ball courts as well as for street hockey and nets. Removable posts in the dividers will be installed for traditional tennis court lines. The refurbishment is anticipated to last 25 years.

The council also voted to designate $90,000 from the Undesignated Fund Balance for Jerome Harris Elementary School paving. Money requested by the school district for a paving project at Totoket Valley Elementary School was not placed in this budget, but will be funded by 40 percent rebate money coming back to the town for earlier ventilator and lighting school building upgrades that had been fully funded by the town's CIP plan.

The council voted to add $98,000 to the proposed $162,000 budgeted in the CIP for partial road reconstruction. The additional $98,000 comes from the council's vote to reallocate $38,000 left over from a $108,000 municipal project grant for two police cars that required $70,000, and to reallocate $60,000 from Local Capital Improvement (LoCIP) grant money left from previous year.

In addition to adjustments made during earlier workshops, on April 19, the town council also approved other some capital expense request alterations. Due to receiving other financial support for a previously proposed Police Department request budgeting $35,000 to outfit two police cars, the council voted to reallocate $15,000 for the first round of interior painting (interior hallways) at Town Hall, and to decrease the police car CIP budget item by $20,000 due to the savings created.

The council also voted to place $50,000 in the Police Department maintenance reserve account to provide needed maintenance of the existing police facility and/or outfitting of a new police vehicle, if needed.

Town Government Expense Adjustments

In addition to adjustments made during earlier workshops, on April 19, the council approved some additional changes to general government budget spending, including:

Adjusting a line-item request of $20,000 by adding in $30,000 (for a total of $50,000), to hire, through an outside company, a human resources consultant service for the town as a way to meet needs without adding a new position.

A provision to hire a full-time assistant library director, a new position to replace a part-time position that will end later this year due to retirement. The new position will start in January 2023 when funding of $31,415 will be implemented for the half-year of the post through the end of the 2022-'23 fiscal year in June 2023. The council also voted to increase pension, medical, workers compensation, etc., line items related to the new position. The full-time position will then be added as full-year salary funding in future budgets.

Increasing part-time wages paid to part-time librarians and assistants so that they are corrected to Connecticut Library Association benchmarks by incorporating a budget increase of $1,523.

Increases to the Parks and Recreation budget by $2,500 for professional development and $1,872 for vehicle mileage reimbursement for the park monitor's use of personal vehicle.

A $35,000 reduction of Contingency Funding for contracts and salaries, reduced to a a new total of $310,000, based on reassessment of earlier estimates.

Budget Referendum Vote

Next, on Tuesday, May 10, registered voters in the Town of North Branford can respond to the annual budget referendum question at the polls, which will read, "Shall the Town Council Recommended Budget of $58,704,902, which will require a mill rate of 33.23 mills, be adopted?"

By Town Charter, 15 percent of the electorate must turn out at the polls for voting results to be actionable by the Town Council.

Due to recent state redistricting, North Branford now has three voting districts, an increase of one district. The May 10 referendum vote will be the first time that voting in the new district is implemented. Polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m. on May 10.

Polling place are: District 1—Jerome Harrison Elementary School 335 Foxon Road/Route 80; District 2, Stanley T. Williams Community Center (Gymnasium) 1332 Middletown Avenue/Route 17; and District 3, Stanley T. Williams Community Center (board meeting room) 1332 Middletown Avenue./Route 17.

Absentee ballots will be available at the Town Clerk's Office during regular business hours beginning Monday, April 25.