Montville Town Council Approves 2014 Budget, Tax Decrease

In a meeting that lasted less than an hour, the Montville Town Council approved a $55.68 million budget for the 2014 fiscal year as well as a small tax decrease.

The Council voted unanimously to approve a $55,680,408 budget consisting of  $36,632,735 for the Board of Education, $18,004,673 for municipal services, and $1,043,000 for capital expenditures. The mill rate, or tax per $1,000 of assessed value, decreases 0.93 percent from 29.33 to 29.06.

“This is the fastest budget I think we’ve ever done,” said Chairperson Candy Buebendorf.

The budget adopted several adjustments recommended by the Finance Committee to increase revenues and decrease expenditures, particularly in capital expenses, in Mayor Ron McDaniel’s budget proposal. McDaniel’s proposal included a modest tax increase, raising the mill rate 0.6 percent from 29.33 to 29.5.

McDaniel’s $55,958,148 budget proposal allotted $36,632,735 budget for the Board of Education—the same funding level as the 2013 budget—and $18,011,173 for general government expenses as well as $1,314,240 for capital expenditures. McDaniel’s proposed capital expenditures included $500,000 for road paving, $200,000 for the replacement of fire department vehicles, $70,000 for the purchase of two police vehicles, and $35,000 for repairs to the Town Hall roof.

The Council voted 5-1, with Vice Chair Billy Caron opposed, to cut $35,000 for the funding of one police vehicle. In a series of 4-0-2 votes—with Councilors Joseph W. Jaskiewicz and Laura Tanner abstaining and Councilor Dana McFee absent—the Council voted to eliminate $94,200 for Board of Education access control, $88,000 for the purchase of a school bus, and $54,000 for the replacement of exterior doors at Leonard J. Tyl Middle School.

The Council voted unanimously to accept seven adjustments to revenues to increase them by $122,000. These included increasing the anticipated revenues from prior year taxes by $60,000, interest revenue by $30,000, motor vehicle supplemental revenue and town clerk fees by $10,000 each, Parks and Recreation fees by $6,000, and Youth Services programs revenue by $4,000.

The Council also voted unanimously to make $7,000 in reductions to expenditures, including $2,000 each from the part-time police budget and Finance Department accountants budget, $1,500 from Finance Department overtime, and $1,000 from Probate. A motion by Caron to reduce consulting expenses by $25,000 did not get a second.

Councilors praised the work of the Finance Committee, Board of Education, McDaniel, and individual departments on the budget.

“It was very evenhanded,” said Councilor Chuck Longton. “It was very carefully considered, and it was a great job.” J

oe Sucha, vice-chair of the Montville Democratic Town Committee and one of the few residents to speak on the budget during the public comment section, also said he thought the Council had done a thorough job.

“I guess the moniker that we have tax and spend Democrats isn’t that accurate anymore,” he said.

McDaniel said the budget’s numbers will be dependent on the state budget that is approved. According to the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the reduction in municipal general fund revenue increased from $877,362 in Gov. Dannel Malloy’s budget proposal to $1,337,501 in the Connecticut General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee recommendations.

“Hopefully we’ll get what they told we were going to get in the governor’s budget,” he said.

In other votes, the Council unanimously approved a $5,446,153 sewer budget and $1,070,700 water budget for the Montville Water Pollution Control Authority. Jaskiewicz said neither budget will result in rate increase in the 2014 fiscal year, but that he was told the water rate could increase in the 2015 fiscal year.

The Council also approved an $11,951,196 five-year capital improvement plan in a 4-0-2 vote.