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April 28, 2011
Budget Vote Coming
After a lot of hard work, many meetings, and tough decisions, the proposed budget is now ready for you to vote upon. Myself, the town staff, and all the boards worked diligently to put together this budget and we hope that you have all of the information you need to make your decision. The budget referendum is on Tuesday, May 10th from 6AM – 8PM. All districts are voting at Town Hall.
As with any budget, there is bound to be some misinformation or confusion floating around. I want to urge everyone who has a question or concern to contact me at my office at 537-7220. My goal is very simple, I want to make sure everyone has all the facts they need to make a sound decision on the budget. This is your community just as much as it is mine and we need to ensure that the budget reflects the desires of the entire town.
Capital Needs Addressed
For the town budget, which includes capital and debt service, the overall spending increase is less than 1%. It’s worth noting that the proposed budget is still less than it was five years ago. Over the last few years, we have not been spending enough on capital and this budget begins to rectify that situation. Roads, buildings, technology, vehicles, and equipment are all part of the town infrastructure that must be maintained. Failure to regularly address these items means a loss of productivity and higher maintenance costs.
The proposed budget increases our efforts on road maintenance. Our roads, especially with the harsh winter, are in need of a lot of repairs. Although we can’t address all the road issues this coming year, this budget does put us on a more sustainable path.
Technology is also being improved with this budget. We need to recognize that residents and developers need information at all times, not just when Town Hall is open. The proposed budget will allow us to put in place a system that allows anyone to go online and view data associated with a piece of property including its assessment, dimensions, proximity to sewer and water lines, and abutting property owners. This information is critical for businesses wishing to come to town and we need to continue to make our operations as business-friendly as possible.
Operations Improved
Aside from capital, operations are being improved as well in the proposed budget. We currently have three less police officers on patrol than we did three years ago. One vacant position was eliminated, a resident trooper was cut last year, and one officer was assigned to the schools as the School Resource Officer. In order to start bringing us back to previous staffing levels, the budget adds an officer halfway through the fiscal year.
Another change is the addition of a part-time social services coordinator. With the poor economy, we have seen an increase in the need for assistance to those less fortunate. This position would greatly improve our ability to ensure all of Colchester’s citizens have a place to turn to when the need arises.
There are several other operational changes including the elimination of the health department as we transition over to the Chatham Health District, and using more contractors for snow removal to reduce our equipment needs. All of this information can be found on the town website at www.colchesterct.gov. Again, I urge everyone to learn all the facts and contact me with any questions as you make your decision on what our community should look like.
- Gregg Schuster
First Selectman
Previous Selectman Notes can be viewed at
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