Opportunities in Shelton's Budget

This year, the Board of Apportionment & Taxation worked to recommend a balanced budget which addresses the needs of Shelton, while carefully managing our finances during these economic times.

Reviewing the budget line-by-line requires a great deal of time and attention and I want to thank all the members of the Board of Apportionment and Taxation, as well as the Board of Alderman who joined us for our many Budgeting Workshops. 

The Board of Apportionment & Taxation reviewed the budget in full and made ourselves available to every department, board and commission so that we fully understood every department’s requested budget. Meeting with various Departments, learning about the work they have accomplished, and what they hope to achieve over the coming fiscal year was a very valuable exercise.

This public process offers us the opportunity to have a healthy exchange of ideas related to our budget.

One particular item we discussed was the need to explore an option that would utilize technology to stream-line our entire budgeting process. Using a web based platform to complete, store and access the budget will achieve the benefit of a shorter budgeting process that saves thousands pieces of paper. Since the City has made an effort to “Go Green,” we support moving the budgeting process into a technology-centered one, which will make the process more efficient, streamlined and environmentally friendly.

Meeting with our city’s departments demonstrated to us their commitment to serving the people of Shelton and willingness to continually improve their services and operations. In our conversations with them, Department’s often centered their comments on the need to hire for positions that are currently budgeted for, which makes sense. If you are allocated funding for a position, you should move forward with hiring for that position. Funding - but not filling - a position puts a burden on our Department Heads who were relying on a position being filled and that workload being carried out. Therefore, we are supportive of efforts for Department’s to hire for positions that are currently being funded.

After reviewing the expense side of our budget, we moved to the revenues as well as the 6-year capital plan. Shelton’s capital plan offers us many opportunities, and over the next fiscal year citizens can look forward to a new:

• Irrigation system in the Huntington Green;
• Improvements to the East Village Park including lighting and fencing;
• Boat Ramp and Floating Dock behind in the Sunnyside area;
• Roadway through Riverview Park;
• And a roof over the entry of the Plumb Memorial Library.

The Board of Apportionment & Taxation has voted to recommend a budget that will improve the quality of life for Shelton citizens: investing in our safety & security, improving development & infrastructure, supporting our students while offering recreational opportunities and programs for all citizens. This amended budget is being presented to the Board of Alderman at $115,492,006 with a mil-rate of 22.3%, a decrease from the current rate Shelton citizens are paying.

Jimmy Tickey is Vice Chair of Shelton's Board of Apportionment & Taxation.