Budget Moving Forward
Now that the series of budget workshops are complete, the proposed budget is moving forward in the process. Two weeks ago, the Board of Finance asked the town and school to reduce the total budget by $1 million. Obviously, this means reductions above and beyond what we have already proposed.
The town proposed budget has now been reduced by $200,000 and we are using $300,000 of our “rainy day fund” to help weather this financial storm. The usage of undesignated fund balance is not something to be taken lightly. The purpose of this fund is to ensure the town can operate if something happened requiring a significant amount of money. Another purpose of this fund is for the situation we find ourselves in right now. The next couple of years will be very difficult for Colchester and I believe we should use our fund balance in a reasoned manner to help get through this period.
The $200,000 in cuts are coming from various departments and includes such things as a nearly $50,000 reduction in vehicle maintenance. By using some state funds and our equipment reserve fund, we are purchasing vehicles to replace our older vehicles that cost a lot to maintain. It makes good long term fiscal sense to do this and will save the town money over the next few years.
As we continue the budget process, I must stress that the cuts we are making are not trimming the fat, we are reducing services. Because of less staff, we will be reducing the hours of the transfer station. We are not spending enough on road maintenance which will cost the town more in the future as the roads deteriorate. Youth Services programs will be reduced if we do not receive a grant that has been applied for.
The bottom line is that I realize times are tough for everyone. The town budget that is proposed does include a 1.68% increase in spending which is necessary to maintain our current level of service. I hope that everyone will take some time to study the budget and ask questions about what we are spending your tax dollars on. While I am fully prepared to cut the budget and reduce services even further, I feel I need to hear from the residents that this is what they want.
Youth and Social Service Departments Combined
One of the most common requests that come through my office is for social service issues. With the current state of the economy, the need for services has continued to increase. Unfortunately, we only have a part time social services coordinator to handle these requests and we simply can’t keep up with the demand.
To deal with this issue, I recommended to the Board of Selectmen that the department of Youth Services and Socials Services be combined. This was approved at the last board meeting and the departments are beginning the process of combining.
The main benefit of this change will be having five day coverage in town hall for social service issues. All of the staff involved are trained to handle these issues and are required to maintain strict confidentiality. I encourage anyone who needs energy assistance, food, or other aid to contact us to see what we can do to help and what programs you may qualify for.
- Gregg Schuster
First Selectman
Previous Selectman Notes can be viewed at
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