Town Officials Present 2011-2012 Budget To Small Crowd With Few Questions Asked (With Video)

Madison officials presented their budget Thursday to a relatively small and friendly crowd at a public hearing at the Walter C. Polson Middle School auditorium. Following the presentation, only three residents asked questions, which were easily answered by officials.

About 60 people attended, most of them town or school employees.

First Selectman Fillmore McPherson said he hoped the relatively modest turnout and lack of difficult questions meant that town residents were satisfied that the town has done everything it can to keep costs this year as low as possible. And, in fact, the town is proposing a budget that is 1.48 percent higher than last year's budget.

"I would say that word has gotten out that the budget has a historically low increase," McPherson said. "I think people are generally pleased with that. These were the fewest questions, that I can recall, after any budget hearing."

Town officials, including McPherson, School Superintendent David J. Klein, and Police Chief Jack Drumm have meet repeatedly with members of the press, community groups, and activist groups to explain details of the 2011-2012 budget that was formally presented Thursday evening.

The town is requesting a 2011-2012 budget of $71,254,315, which is $1,039,569 or 1.48 percent more than the 2010-2011 budget of $70,214,746.

Historically low increase for Board of Education

The low increase was made possible, in large part, because of the historically low increase being requested by the Madison Board of Education for the school budget. The requested school budget for 2011-2012 is $50,729,364, which is $393,199 or 0.78 percent higher than the 2011-2012 budget of $50,336,165.

The increase in the school budget is low in part because of favorable teacher contract negotiations and because of a reduction of 6 elementary school teaching positions. Klein has emphasized that the positions are being eliminated because of lower enrollment figures in the elementary schools, not due to budgetary pressures.

Madison compares favorably when it comes to educational outcomes and money spent, Klein said, particularly when compared to other schools in a comparable District Reference Group (DRG). District Reference Groups are used by the state to group schools according to socioeconomic data, achievement and expenditures.  The most affluent and low-need districts are grouped into the top rank, which is DRG A. Madison is in DRG B. See the video for his detailed explanation of that.

Combined town and Board of Education increase is lowest in five years

First Selectman McPherson said the 1.48 percent increase being sought this year compares to a 2.67 percent increase for 2010-2011, a 3.23 percent increase in 2009-2019, a 5.27 percent increase in 2008-2009, and a 5.86 percent increase in 2007-2008.

McPherson said he major differences between the proposed budget for next year and this year's budget are as follows;

• General wages are $296,052 higher
• Pensions are $59,112 higher
• Health benefits are $137,698 higher
• Other benefits are $77,785 higher
• The senior center opening, including utilities and maintenance costs, will add $88,937 to the budget
• Maintenance is $39,875 higher
• Ambulance/paramedic services are $40,000 higher
• The technology reserve is $45,000 higher
• Debt service is $55,985 higher

On the other hand, the town expects that legal costs will be significantly lower and was able to find about $50,000 in other reductions by going line by line through the budgets requested by different town departments, McPherson said.

Republican Town Committee Chairman Tom Banisch attended the budget hearing and said he hoped the low turnout and relatively friendly questions meant that the town would be able to pass the budget in a timely manner this year, unlike last year, when it took three referendums to pass.

"Town officials did a great job with this," he said following the hearing. "The budget was put together on a bi-partisan basis. Fillmore pushed this as hard as he felt he could to get the increase as low as possible. He feels that they have cut everything they can without impacting services."

Editor's note: This story was changed at 9:43 a.m. Friday to more accurately reflect Tom Banisch's comments.