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04/28/2023 10:57 AMThe Essex Board of Finance (BOF) has moved its proposed 2023-’24 fiscal year budget to a public meeting on May 8.
The proposed total town budget, including its major components of the Selectman’s budget, the Essex Board of Education (BOE) for Essex Elementary School (EES), and its stake in the Region 4 School District Board of Education, equals $26,522,194 for the upcoming fiscal year. Monies for the two education bodies comprise about 69% of the proposed expenditures.
The budgets were presented at a Board of Finance meeting on April 20.
The Selectman’s budget, which includes general government, public safety, and highway and transportation, stands at a proposed $9,324,964. This represents a 2.74% increase from the current fiscal year or $248,342 from the current year’s budget.
Highway and transportation services are seeing an increase of 5.41% in expenditures, with a budgeted $1,015,556. Its employees are all seeing wage increases of 2.75%.
Technology used by the town is also seeing an increase in expenses, with an increase of 16.1% for a total of $308,699 for the upcoming fiscal year. The increase aims to bolster the town’s cybersecurity strength and acquire adequate cyber insurance.
“Folks…they read in the news every day about cyber hacks and break-ins. Novice, who [provides] services for our technology, brought forth a plan to ensure that we’re safe from hacks and so forth,” said Tracey Celentano, the finance director for the BOF.
Public safety services will see an increase of 4.91%, with total budgeted expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year at $1,723,827. The biggest increase in those services is an additional $19,500 for the Essex Ambulance Association and EMT services.
“They found, again, their workers comp insurance has increased dramatically. Their structure needs to change from volunteers to employees in other operating expenses. These organizations are all important to the town, and we need to contribute to it,” said Celentano.
According to Celentano, the BOF has not yet determined the mill rate for the upcoming fiscal year. First Selectman Norm Needleman said the proposed budget will have a minimal impact on the town’s low rate compared to all other municipalities in the state. He said the best-case scenario for any change next year would be a .2 mill increase, the worst case being a reduction.
As of 2020, Essex sits at 148 out of the 169 municipalities in Connecticut for equalized mill rates at 15.24 mills, as calculated by the Office of Policy and Management.
In the category of education, the BOE seeks a 2.87% increase in expenditures, totaling $8,378,172 for the upcoming fiscal year. According to Celentano, the BOE will have a 40.4% share in the tri-town region’s investment in education.
Salaries comprise over 58% of the BOE budget or $5,161,052 of the total $8.3 million. Another 21% accounts for employee benefits, at $1,736,749.
One significant addition to the town’s budget is the hiring of a long-term building substitute to be in EES, whose position is budgeted for $51,414. This was a decision made in order to assuage a lack of substitute teachers as a result of the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on absenteeism.
“This is something that we need just to keep things operating smoothly. We do try as best we can to find substitutes, but this has really helped stabilize things, and for now, we need this to continue operating efficiently,” said Lon Seidman, the Chair of the BOE.
The public hearing for the proposed budget will take place at 7:30 p.m. at Essex Town Hall in its auditorium on May 8.