Jamie Cura's Voices Article Puts Things In Perspective

MIDDLEBURY - The proposed 2008-09 town budget in the amount of $10,025,120 is going to referendum for the third time, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, August 26, at Shepardson Community Center, 1172 Whittemore Rd.

First Selectman Tom Gormley told Voices the proposed municipal budget reflects a $242,653 decrease from the 2007-08 approved $10,267,773 municipal budget.

The $58,337,060 Region 15 2008-09 Board of Education budget was approved June 5. Middlebury's share of the approved Region 15 budget is $16,817,012. That reflects an increase of $912,229 from Middlebury's share of the adopted 2007-08 budget, at $15,904,783.

"There's nothing we can do about that," said Mr. Gormley. "The school budget was approved at the last referendum [in Region 15], so even though Middlebury voters turned it down, we're stuck with that increase."

He said the town is committed and obligated to pay the money to Region 15.

At the June 5 school budget referendum, 6,184 votes were cast. Southbury voters put the count over the top with a plurality of 1,349 votes. Middlebury voters turned the budget down by 377 votes.

Mr. Gormley explained that when $242,653 is subtracted from $912,229, the increase from last year for the region and town budget combined is $669,576.

He explained that current economic times resulted in budgeting approximately $600,000 less in interest income and building fees on the revenue side.

Because investment rates are decreasing, Mr. Gormley said the town is out approximately $103,000 in revenue because the interest income on investments is dropping.

"The other bombshell is that we're still out $948,125 on the Middlebury Land Associates deal, so you can see the predicament we're in going into it," said Mr. Gormley.

Middlebury Land Associates, a division of Connecticut Adult Condominiums, LLC, was responsible for repairing and upgrading Washington Drive and three other roads in the area for Longmeadow Farms, a development off Washington Drive.

The developer owes the town $948,125 out of a $3 million bill for the project. The developer stopped making payments to the town in September 2007. The Board of Finance learned of the situation in December 2007.

The town had entered into a contract with the developer when Edward B. St. John was first selectman, and the town essentially acted as a general contractor, hiring subcontractors to work on the project.

Subcontractors included Hubble Construction Company and O&G Industries. The subcontractors were never paid, Mr. Gormley had told Voices.

He also noted that last year, $657,000 was taken out of the rainy day fund in an effort to appease taxpayers and get the budget approved.

"Now, we're in a tremendous downturn and we don't have that rainy day fund to turn to," said Mr. Gormley.

Democratic Town Committee members weighed in last week with their opinion, in a press release from Chairman Stephen R. Ferrucci, III.

At a recent Democratic Town Committee meeting, committee members voted unanimously to endorse the proposed town budget.

According to the press release, after discussion, the town committee concurred with the Board of Finance's proposed budget as being a bare-bones budget and felt any further cuts would result in town employee layoffs.

Mr. Ferrucci, a resident of Middlebury for more than 40 years and a former full-time town employee, stated that he can not remember the last time, if any, the town had to lay off personnel.

He said a reduction in personnel could result in loss of vital services to the public, like road repairs, snowplowing, library and recreation services, and possibly fewer services to senior citizens.

Mr. Ferrucci stated in the press release that the current town budget is less than the previous year, and the mill rate is elevated due to the Region 15 school budget, which has already passed.

"It is also the result of the down turn in permit fees from a slow down in building and home sales, as well as the use of the rainy day funds last year to balance the budget for the loss of close to $1 million from the contract with [Mr.] St. John and a contractor, where the town had to pay a third party to install sewer lines to a development for that contractor, and that contractor failed to repay the town in a timely fashion," Mr. Ferrucci stated in the press release.

"The town is still owed this money."

Mr. Ferrucci cited concerns about the cost of gasoline, heating oil, food, and all the other utilities that the increased cost of oil has caused. He said the town uses gas for police cars and fire trucks, and heating oil for the town buildings.

"The Police Department and the Fire Department need to update equipment to respond to, and deal with, your emergency in the quickest and most efficient way possible," said Mr. Ferrucci in the press release.

"Roads have to be plowed so you can either get to work or get home from work. Children and adults still need library services, as well as recreation for after school activity or stress relief. Let's all pass this budget and move on."

Republican Town Committee Chairman Bob Smith told Voices the RTC has yet to meet this month. He said the bylaws of the town committee are limited when it comes to supporting candidates and the same is true for budgets.SAA Plans EventCopies of the budget are available at the town clerk's office at the Town Hall, 1212 Whittemore Rd.