UPDATED: Finance Committee Hears Department Budget Requests

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the police department-requested increase as $1.3 million; the correct figure is $133,000. 

Three town department’s made their cases for increased funding for the 2013-2014 budget at Tuesday’s finance committee special meeting.

Two departments asked for modest increases – Senior and Social Services and Information Technology.

The IT department requested an additional $48,000 to take the department from a budget of $297,956 to a hoped-for $345,956.

Social Services is asking for a $8,682 increase primarily to cover additional hours for the assistant who is working 30 hours now. The increase in hours mean the social service office could be manned from 8 to 4:30, same as other town offices. And, Social Service director Kathleen Doherty-Peck said, the proposed increase in hours would not affect any labor contract; is already in the union and has been a longtime town employee.

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Doherty-Peck asked for a modest $1,122 increase for the Senior Center over the 2012-1013 budget of $188,165.

The Montville Police Department with Lt. Leonard Bunnell and Resident State Trooper Sgt. Martin Martinez making the request, asked for an $133,000 increase to fund a new police officer, a part time police officer and a full time clerk. They’d also like a dedicated custodian for the public safety building.

And, despite repeated prior statements to the contrary, Bunnell said the department would continue to fund the School Resource Officer position despite previous claims no officer was interested in the post. In January, police officer Karen Moorehead was removed from the SRO post.

Following that action, the school department created a new campus safety officer position and hired former Montville Resident State Trooper Sgt. Mike Collins for the job; Collins is a civilian.

During questioning by committee member Town Councilor Rosetta Jones, Bunnell said that the department “will bring back the SRO officer,” with Martinez quickly adding “an officer, not that officer,” referring to Moorehead. 

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