Town Manager Presents $150 Million Spending Plan

Jan. 31--GLASTONBURY -- Town Manager Richard J. Johnson presented a $150.3 million budget proposal for 2014-15, an increase of 3.55 percent, during the annual town meeting Thursday.

The budget, if approved by the town council in March, would require a 2 percent tax increase, raising the tax rate from 35.1 to 35.8 mills. Last year, Johnson presented a budget that increased taxes by 3.16 percent, before the council cut the board of education budget by $800,000.

The budget includes $38.2 million for town expenditures, an increase of 2.6 percent, and $97.9 million for education, an increase of 4.2 percent. It also includes $14.1 million for debt payments and fund transfers, an increase of 1.8 percent.

Although the annual meeting gives residents an opportunity to speak in favor of or against the spending plan, no one spoke. Many in attendance were members of the council, the boards of education and finance and other school and town officials.

Johnson said he removed $725,000 from the $1.68 million in requests that came from the various town departments before settling on his budget. He noted that half of the accounts in his spending plan were either staying flat or decreasing.

"The proposed budget looks to effectively manage the cost of town operations while retaining high quality programs, services and facilities," he said. "In my opinion, this budget proposal successfully achieves this balance."

Johnson pointed out that much of the budget increase is due to increases in wages, insurance and pension contributions. "Funding pensions continues to put a significant strain on the town budget," he said.

Superintendent Alan B. Bookman presented the board of education's budget, a proposal that increases spending by more than $3.9 million. The board cut $200,000 from Bookman's original budget presented earlier in the month.

Bookman noted that the school budget includes no new teaching positions and a reduction of six full-time teaching equivalent positions at the elementary school and four at the high school. He said 85 percent of the increase is due to contracted raises and health insurance and other benefits for staff. Another major portion of the budget increase -- $631,000 -- goes to new technology.

"We need to make sure we meet the needs of students and staff while presenting a budget that taxpayers can afford," board Chairwoman Susan Karp said.

The spending plans must now be reviewed by the board of finance and town council.

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