Referendum Today on $49.1M Budget

In a town referendum, residents will go to the polls today to vote on a $49,134,068 town budget for 2011-12. They also will be asked to approve two bond issues, one to extend water service to Aljen Heights and another to fund a three-year road pavement management program.

The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. District 1 residents will vote at Ledyard Center School, and District 2 residents will vote at Juliet W. Long School.

At a Town Meeting on Monday, Town Councilor Jim Diaz, who chairs the Finance Committee, explained that this year’s proposal reflects a total increase of $1,117,828, or 2.33 percent, but that much of the increase is off-set by a $703,430 federal education jobs grant that was saved last year by the Board of Education to be applied this year.

As a result of the board’s foresight, Diaz said, the actual increase reflected in the 2011-12 plan is $414,398, or 0.863 percent.

Diaz said the town budgeted conservatively with regard to revenue. The state legislature may yet approve some $365,000 in PILOT reimbursement funds, as well as approve hotel and other taxes that could contribute additional funds.

“But we haven’t accounted for that in this budget because the legislature hasn’t finalized it yet,” Diaz said. By law, the town must set a mill rate in June.

The proposed budget provides for three new positions, including an administrator of human resources that Diaz said will serve both the town and Board of Education. Among other duties the new HR person will help negotiate labor contracts, something that has been a challenge for the town in recent years. 

The proposed budget includes a $29,607,964 school spending package, which schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Graner said maintains the district’s current class size, continues all curricular and extracurricular programs and supports required educational reforms.

The budget also continues to fund ongoing capital improvements, including asbestos abatement and science laboratory renovation at the high school. It also provides for new bleachers at the high school, which have been in need of replacement for years.

“There’s an awful lot to like in this budget,” Graner said. “When you can do all that, and improve the quality of life for our citizens, for less than 1 percent, I’m amazed.”

Town Planner Charlie Karno gave a brief presentation on the Aljen Heights water project, which will directly benefit about 300 residents, and for which the town would bond $5,438,000.

Karno explained that, like the bleachers, the Aljen Heights water project has been an identified need for years. More recently, 63 septic systems have failed or had problems, and 21 wells were found to have elevated nitrate levels, he said.

This year, the town was able to secure funding through the state Department of Public Health. The funding includes a grant for 20 percent of the project and 2 percent financing for the balance, to be paid over 20 years.

“This is a good time to borrow money and a good time to construct things because of the economy,” he said. “People have talked about this for 25 years. I think this is a good opportunity now to make it work.”

Public works director Steve Masalin gave a presentation on the road management program. He said approximately 25 percent of the town’s paved roads are targeted for improvements, from simple crack sealing to mill and overlay.

Planning Commission Chairman Mike Cherry spoke in support of the two referendum questions.

“I saw water go up Route 12 and Route 117. I didn’t get water from either pipe, and I won’t get any from (the Aljen Heights project) but it’s the right thing to do for the town,” he said.

Similarly, Cherry said his road is not on the near-term schedule for road maintenance. “My road’s not getting fixed, but I drive on all the roads in Ledyard.”

Fewer than 40 residents attended Monday’s Town Meeting. One resident asked whether such poor attendance should concern the town.

Town Councilor Sean Sullivan, who moderated the Town Meeting, acknowledged the light turnout. “Is it good or bad? I’ll leave that up to you to judge,” he said.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” a resident in the audience replied.