Latest news with #BoardofFinance
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Burlington City Council president and finance board members chosen: Who are they?
Two new councilors have officially taken their seats on Burlington's City Council. Democrats Ranjit "Buddy" Singh and Allie Schachter are now representing the South and East districts, respectively. Ward council seats were not up for election this year, but the five district seats were. North District's Mark Barlow and Central District's Melo Grant were both re-elected. The West District remains open, with no individual running for the seat this year. The councilors were sworn in by Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak April 7, which she then followed with her State of the City Address, one year after her own swearing in as Burlington's first woman and openly LGBTQ mayor. She spoke about her administration's accomplishments over the past year, and the focus on community safety, housing and climate. Incumbent President Ben Traverse was challenged for his seat this year by Ward 1 Progressive Carter Neubieser. The City Council president sets the agenda for the meetings and presides over said meetings. They often have to maintain order and focus during those meetings. They also serve as a key liaison between the council and the mayor. Traverse has held the position for a year and will continue to as he won the majority vote with seven "yes" votes. Neubieser and other Progressives were hoping to gain some point of power in a now unbalanced council, with Democrats gaining majority in the recent election. A new Board of Finance is voted in every year. Made up of councilors, the Board of Finance plays a major role in shaping the city's budget. The board approves spending decisions before they go to the full council, and work closely with the mayor's administration on financial planning. Out of the five-person board, the mayor and the City Council president make up two seats. The other three council members voted to the board were Neubieser, Barlow and Ward 4 Democrat Sarah Carpenter. Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@ This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Burlington City Council president named, mayor gives State of the City
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Putnam budget proposal would raises tax bills by 10%
Putnam — The Board of Finance unanimously voted Monday to advance a 2025-26 budget proposal that could raise taxes by more than 10% for the average homeowner, according to local officials. The $33 million budget, which will be presented at a public hearing on Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m. at Putnam Middle School, adds an extra $200,000 to the Board of Education's original bare-bones school spending plan. The proposed budget calls for a $1.17 million increase for the school system, $196,000 for general government and bond debt, $58,900 for the Putnam EMS Ambulance Service, $2,900 for the library, and $4,400 for the police department's school resource officer program. Town Administrator Elaine Sistare said Tuesday that the new tax rate would be 17.9 mills — down 5.7 mills from the current year's rate of 23.6. However, town officials say homeowners will still see their taxes increase, due to the town's mandated property revaluation. Sistare estimated that median residential property owners with two median-valued cars will see their tax bills increase by 12% next year. If the budget passes, the town would need to raise an extra $646,000 in tax revenue. That figure would have been even higher, but the board decided Monday to recommend using $700,000 from the town's undesignated surplus fund and $550,000 in government bonding from the Capital High School Project to cover a portion of the town's expenditures. At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Barney Seney warned residents that due to the revaluation, residential property taxes would go up no matter what we put in the surplus. 'We've done a great job financing the increases, and I think it's a fair budget. The schools get what they need, which I'm happy about,' Seney said at the end of the meeting. If the proposed budget passes, school spending would total $22.1 million. The Board of Education originally presented a $21.9 million budget. While the total represented a $976,000 boost — up 4.6% from the previous year — rising contractual obligations including health insurance, salaries, special education costs and energy expenses ate up the increase, requiring thousands of dollars of cuts throughout the district. The proposal called for the elimination of all permanent substitute teachers, the loss of two paraeducators, and the reduction of a full-time school psychologist and speech and language pathologist to part-time. Other adjustments included keeping vacant coaching positions unfilled and reducing professional development, software, classroom furniture, instructional supplies, and maintenance budgets. Board of Education Chairman James Purdon III told the Board of Finance on Monday that if the district received anything lower than the $21.9 million, the board 'would not know where we would be able to make the cuts.' 'We have cut, and cut, and cut,' Purdon said. 'We truly made every possible cut we could find.' Given the district's financial challenges, Board of Finance Chairman Dave Coderre said he was inclined to add $200,000 to the school budget. 'We've done a lot of studying of the board of ed budget. We've heard from a lot of people,' Coderre said. 'In other years we listen with a critical ear, but I think if you look at their budget, they hit some tough times with special ed and insurance.' At the end of the meeting, Superintendent Steven Rioux thanked the board for the additional funding. 'I just wanted to express my appreciation and gratitude for recognizing other needs of the school and some of the challenges that we're facing this year,' Rioux said. 'We will definitely use that funding very wisely and support the kids in the areas that need it the most.' During his remarks, Rioux noted that Monday's vote was 'just step one of the hurdle.' 'We still have to pass this referendum,' Rioux said.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
East Lyme looks to borrow $550K to make Town Hall ADA compliant
East Lyme — The town will borrow $550,000 to redesign Town Hall in response to a complaint that the building does not comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. First Selectman Dan Cunningham said the work has to be done by November. The renovations call for adding an elevator and redoing the wheelchair ramp outside the building, which Cunningham said is currently too steep. Plans also call for changing the height of water fountains and tables and renovating some bathrooms. Cunningham said the work will have a minimal effect on Town Hall operations. I think it just hadn't occurred to anyone that the building has these shortcomings," Cunningham said Thursday as to why the upgrades took until now, 35 years after the ADA became law. The Board of Finance unanimously voted Wednesday to let the town ask voters to bond the needed money. "It's essential we get this accomplished," Cunningham told the board. "A lot of the public needs to get in there." The complaint was made before Cunningham came into office. He said when he became first selectman, he made the renovation a priority. Director of Public Works Joe Bragaw told the board other town buildings have less expensive upgrades to make, but these the town can handle with its normal operating budget. "Town Hall is the only major one, Bragaw said. A Town Meeting has been scheduled for April 2 for residents to vote on the bonding. In a February 2023 letter, Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, said ensuring people with disabilities can have access to public services is one of the most important protections the ADA provides. Complaints alleging that a public entity or place of public accommodation in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities can be filed by contacting the U.S. Attorney's Office at 203-821-3700.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Preston school board approves budget with 6.5% increase
Preston — The Board of Education voted Monday to approve the proposed 2025-26 school budget of $16.02 million. The plan still requires approval by the Board of Finance, and town voters at a referendum. While presenting the budget to the school board Monday, Superintendent of Schools Roy Seitsinger explained the $988,542, or 6.5%, increase over the current $15.03 budget, is mostly the results of fixed costs, or increases out of the district's control, including contractually obligated raises and benefits for staff and administrators, and rising costs for special education and secondary tuition. The tuition is needed to pay for district students to attend Norwich Free Academy, or North Stonington or Griswold high schools. Those do not include technical schools, which Seitsinger said the district doesn't pay tuition for. Increases to staffs' salaries and benefits account for 41.5% of the total budget increase. Special education costs account for 23.6% while secondary tuition costs account for 20.8% of the increase. Meanwhile, the proposal calls for no new programs and staff has not been reduced. Seitsinger said the only new staff changes contributing to the increase are a half-time bus driver, and stipends for coaches that resulted from adding three new sports teams this year. Because the state has not yet decided how much school districts will receive in state aid, the town, which currently receives about $3.5 million, will have to wait for an update. Seitsinger said if more aid comes to the town before the school board's March 27 budget presentation to the Board of Finance, the funding will be used to lower the budget increase. Meanwhile, he said the school board will try to pare down" the budget before then. On Monday, the majority of the school board agreed the budget was not extravagant and had little room for further cuts. Before Monday, administrators and the school board's finance committee had examined an initial proposal and cut $341,679. Cuts included reducing a full-time bus driver to half time, and eliminating about $50,000 to clean dust off the girders in the schools' gyms. Five members voted in favor of the spending plan, while Republican member Courtney Ennis, who said she didn't want to vote on a budget she had only had two days to look at, and still had questions about, abstained. Democrat board member Michael Hinton, a member of the board's finance committee, described the budget as "unfortunately realistic," and considerate of "a challenging period in our history." "The expectation that it's going to be further cut is an incredibly terrifying one for me," Hinton added. "Because the cut, as I've already characterized, I think is already down to the bone. To go further is going to be impacting service to students." "There's not a lot of wiggle room I'm getting," Republican member Nicole Serra had agreed. Hinton said should more significant cuts need to be made, they would have to come from non-tenured teachers, or school programs. "And there aren't many programs, he said.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Westport First Selectwoman Jen Tooker announces bid for governor
WESTPORT, Conn. (WTNH) — On Monday, Jen Tooker became the first official candidate to announce a run for the Connecticut governor's seat. In her announcement, the current Westport first selectwoman said she's a champion for fiscal responsibility, economic growth, and government accountability. New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart officially announces she is exploring a run for governor 'For too long, Connecticut families and businesses have been burdened by high taxes, rising costs, and a state government that lacks accountability,' Tooker said in a statement. 'I'm running for governor to restore fiscal discipline, create an economy where businesses and workers thrive, and make Connecticut a place where families can afford to stay, work, and retire,' she continued. If elected governor, Tooker wants to 'rein in' state employee costs, lower energy costs, make Connecticut a better place to retire, and transform the state's cities into tech hubs. Tooker has also served on the Board of Finance and the Board of Education. She has three children with her husband Mo, according to campaign officials. Three other Republicans have said they're exploring their own campaigns for governor, including Matt Corey, Erin Stewart and Peter Lumaj. The 2026 Connecticut gubernatorial election is scheduled for Nov. 3. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
