Budget Presented in Westbrook, Connecticut

WESTBROOK - Before a room of 40 individuals, Board of Finance Chairman Paul Connelly, Board of Education Chairman Matt Alaimo, and Superintendent Patricia Charles explained the proposed budget for 2008-09.

The proposed $23,822,720 budget represents a 7.47 percent increase over last year.

"We had some unusual expenses this year," Connelly said, explaining that these included, among other things, a $142,000 tax rebate to Tanger Outlets, $438,000 for improved security for Westbrook Public Schools, and $375,000 for debt service which was not budgeted for due to an accounting error.

Of the Board of Selectmen's side of the budget, Connelly said payroll and benefits make up 50 percent of their proposed $456,512 budget.
Part of that increase is attributable to the four percent pay increase for town employees.

Another large increase for their budget is the $75,000 allocated to Youth and Family Services, which currently operates as a non-profit organization.
"I think that Youth and Family Services will become a town agency at some point in the future," Connelly said.

Connelly pointed out that $45,460 was budgeted for increased legal and audit services in the Assessor's Office.

The Debt Service portion of the budget increased by 15.26 percent; mainly because of the $375,000 accounting error.

$88,000 of the increase can be attributed to the estimated borrowing costs necessary to bond for the $1.3 million Daisy Ingraham Elementary School roof replacement.

Alaimo said that the proposed education budget for 2008-09 is $13,268,441, reflecting a 5.96 percent increase from last year's $12,522,543 budget.

Superintendent Pat Charles said that of that amount, 63 percent is for salaries and 18 percent is for employee benefits.

While the school system will have a new special education director, Charles said a reallocation of services through the decrease of one special education teacher and the reduction of the special education coordinator stipend means that the position will not increase the budget.

Items that will increase the budget include the addition of a part-time facilities manager that could be a shared resource with the Town Of Westbrook in the future.

In 2008-09, that individual will have a salary of $43,060.

Additionally, a part-time French teacher at the high school will be hired due to an increase in students enrolling in world language classes and the district will hire one full-time and one part-time aide for elementary school special education, Charles said.

Additionally, one in-house suspension paraprofessional will be hired to meet a state mandate which encourages schools to discipline more students with in-school suspensions rather than out-of-school suspensions.

Charles said the line item for fuel and oil at $236,950 is a "conservative estimate" which is expected to be much more due to rising oil prices.

The estimate is an approximate 130 percent increase over last year.

Charles explained that during the 2007-08 school year that "Westbrook students continue to perform above the state average at all grade levels" citing Connecticut Mastery Test results for reading, mathematics and writing.

The Annual Town Budget Meeting for Westbrook is scheduled for May 15 and at that time, it will be decided whether the budget will go to referendum or will be voted on at the meeting.

George Pytlik, the Director of Emergency Management, said the recent approval of the 2007-2017 Capital Improvement Plan will allow the town to receive state grant money.

The plan includes projects for the fire department, public works, Board of Education, police department, and recreation department.

Projects listed in the plan must be approved by the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, and at a town meeting.