Shelton Tax Board Recommends a Balanced Budget for 2011-2012

A balanced budget that maintains the current tax rate is what the Board of Apportionment and Taxation pitched to city leaders Thursday.

The tax board met jointly with the Board of Aldermen and recommended a $112 million budget for fiscal year 2011-2012.

“I’m glad we are able to come in with a balanced budget that keeps the same mill rate as what Mayor (Mark) Lauretti proposed at 18.57 (mills),” said tax board Chairman Mark Holden. “Things are looking good for Shelton.”

Holden lauded his fellow board members for team work, along with the various city departments, boards and commissions for submitting “very reasonable requests” in the board’s ability to confidently recommend a budget to the aldermen.

Holden said the tax board made some changes to Lauretti’s budget, but the bottom line is basically the same. Lauretti unveiled a budget of $111,913,313 in February, while the tax board’s recommended budget is only slightly higher at $111,925,081.

The tax board added $10,000 to Lauretti’s proposal for what Holden said is some much-needed turnout gear for the fire department, as well as $15,000 for alarm maintenance to upgrade the department‘s antiquated call box system.

Holden said the board made changes to some 21 line items in Lauretti’s budget, that members agreed were necessary. Some of those changes include reducing both the Girl Scouts of America and Barnum Festival Program budgets to $500 each, because Holden said the money allocated to those organizations each year simply isn’t used, and is better spent elsewhere in the budget. The Girl Scout budget was at $5,000, while the Barnum Festival budget was at $2,500.

Other reductions were made to postage, special events, emergency lights, youth programs and the Valley Council of Governments.

The tax board opted to keep the Board of Education budget at what $63.7 million, which is what Lauretti had recommended. The school board requested a budget of $64.9 million.

The tax board also recommended allocating money on the city side of the budget to cover unemployment costs in the school budget, which is the same thing the city did in its current budget.

Aldermanic President John Anglace said the aldermen need some time to digest the tax board’s recommendations, and will meet again jointly with the board on April 14.

So far, however, Anglace said he was glad to see the tax board present a budget that is mindful of taxpayers in a dismal economy.

“I’m very pleased they’re working to continue the theme of this budget, which is to reduce taxes, and that is essential in this economy,” Anglace said.

The aldermen have the final say so on the budget, and are slated to cast a vote on the bottom line May 15.

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