Finance Committee To Scrutinize Police, Public Works Budgets Today

Chisel, chisel.

The Finance Committee meets today at 4 p.m. in Town Hall to review three department budgets – two of which represent a significant chunk of the overall proposed $55.7 million 2012-2013 spending plan.

The proposed Public Works budget, at $2,204,657 represents a modest .28 percent decrease from 2011-2012.  

The Montville Police protection budget, at $1,984,457 represents a 2 percent increase over last year.

The Town Clerk’s office is seeking to be level funded at $144,812.

On public works, Mayor Ronald K. McDaniel Jr. has called for a slightly lower plan; his recommendation is the public works department, headed by Donald W. Bourdeau, Jr., be funded at $2,203,057, about $1,600 less than the department is seeking.  

Public works is responsible for all maintenance of town property including road sweeping, cleaning, paving, and repairing, brush clearing/cutting, tree maintenance, roadside drainage and solid waste disposal.

Montville Police Department Lt. Leonard Bunnell provides routine oversight of administrative matters while Resident State Trooper Sgt. Troy Gelinas supervises police operations.

Other public safety measures are funded out of different departments and are separate line items from the police protection budget. For example, dispatch is its own separate department with a budget request of $285,440, up nearly 4 percent from 2011-2012; McDaniel has recommended level funding.

Animal control is requesting a 2 percent increase to $62,000; the mayor has recommended $60,000.

Another public safety ‘department’ is private duty – presumably for private detail work by former, current or part time officers. That department is asking for $125,000.  

Town Clerk Lisa J. Terry’s office is requesting to be level funded – no increase – over 2011-2012. The $144,812 requested covers the myriad operations of this at once small but busy department. The clerk’s office records, indexes and maintains all town records including all land records and vital statistics. The office also handles elections, licenses and permits and is a notary service.

Meanwhile, the Town Council has started its review of the proposed $37.6 million 2012-2013 education budget, which represents a more than 2.7 percent increase over last year’s plan. McDaniel called for no increase in the current $36.6 million education budget.

focused on schools spending plan.