This past Tuesday evening, in a capacity crowd at Osbourne Hill School, the RTM passed the Town budget ($274m) in a 34-14 vote. This included a Board of Education budget that had already been trimmed by $3m and is now at the same level as last year’s BOE budget. The BOE budget is the largest single item at $140m.
The budget, having passed the RTM, was sent to the Board of Finance who on Wednesday approved a mill rate increase of 1.7% over last year’s 18.58. For a family paying $13,006 in 2009 on an assessment of $700,000, their taxes will rise by $224 in 2010. Less than $20 per month.
But even though the budget passed the Representative Town Meeting, an application for a referendum petition was filed Wednesday with the Town Clerk’s office by “Fairfielders for Fiscal Responsibility”. The Referendum will request that an additional $2.5m be cut from the BOE budget. The petition needs 5% of the Town’s eligible voters by May 18.
To cut that much from the Board of Ed’s budget, when several of our schools are facing overcrowding and some of our children attend school in temporary trailers, while fiscally “responsible” is socially irresponsible.
I also talked to a parent earlier in the week about the then possibility of a tax increase. She was supporting a 0% tax increase. Her view was that “we don’t get much for our taxes anyway” so “why is there an increase”. Say what you will, but I believe most people don’t realize what it takes to run and maintain a town like Fairfield.
What do you think? Please leave comments. A number of RTM members read this board. Your voice will be heard
The education system is the backbone of this town. For people to expect the Board of Ed to cut an additional $2.5M from their budget is ridiculous just so people who live in gigantic homes have no tax increase. If you live in a $700K home and cannot handle an extra $20 per month in taxes you shouldn’t be living in that home.
Is there some waste at the Board of Ed? I am sure there is. However it is unlikely that the spending that would fall under that heading is what would get cut if the Board of Ed. had to make that cut right now. That concerned citizens group should stop this fight and instead work towards an effort to help the Board of Ed. closely examine their systems to see if they can find any spending that they can do without but it shouldn’t be done with a gun to their head as it would be done if it happened now.
I appreciate the increase being put into the example given of $20 per month. It puts it into a good perspective.
I also really feel as though we have leaders in our town that trully care about things from both angles. I would hope that they don’t want to increase taxes, particularly now. But I know that they also care about keeping our town strong. And let’s not forget that the wonderful schools keep our property values up compared to other towns.
I pay taxes as we all do. I hate paying taxes as we all do. I love getting the benefits of those taxes even though I don’t always partake in those benefits…as we all do. That’s the part about this that’s driving me wonky. I don’t get to the beach, float a boat, play golf, have a senior living in Fairifled (though I have two I’m trying my best to help), etc, etc but I totally support that all of that and more is what makes Fairfield the place I love and want to live in. I love that Fairfield is more than just what I think is important because I want my world (and my children’s world) to be full of all sorts of things. I want to agreee to disagree on what we like but agree to support each other, especially when times get tough. I want to agree that we can’t always get what we want and we have to compromise to get what we all need. We need to do these things not because a kindergarten teacher doels out these pearls of wisdom but also because as taxpayers we understand we are part of a system that means that working together we create the place we love to live in, others want to live in, and inwhich our town economics thrive (real east values, town businesses, etc.) It all works together just as it all falls apart if one of the building blocks, like the town and education budget, is cut. Please remember this – it pays to invest in your town and your town’s future! Please keep the budget as voted on by your thoughtful town bodies.
I am tired of paying this town’s high taxes, I will shortly have to move out. Why can’t we control our taxes like some of our neighbors?
Bill, thanks for the comment. I think in order to control our taxes, the Town needs to control spending. That starts at the top, with Mr. Flatto. Unfortunately three years ago the majority voted for a 4-year term for the First Selectman. That means he isn’t running for re-election this year, we have to wait two more years. Getting to the polls and seeing that choice on the ballot (Yes or No for a Four-Year Term) was one of several reasons I moved forward with creating this site. There was no discussion that I could find about that issue. It really changes the political landscape.
what about the moron who put 40 some mm of the towns money with bernie madoff??