Board of Selectmen Special Meeting February 26, 2015

SIMSBURY BOARD OF SELECTMEN BUDGET WORKSHOP – SUBJECT TO APPROVAL SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES – FEBRUARY 26, 2015

CALL TO ORDER

First Selectman Lisa Heavner called the budget workshop of the Simsbury Board of Selectmen to order at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, 2015. The special meeting was held in the Main Meeting Room of the Simsbury Town Offices located at 933 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT. Also in attendance: selectman Sean Askham, Cheryl Cook, Nancy Haase, Chris Kelly and Mike Paine. Staff included Director of Administrative Service Thomas Cooke, Deputy Director of Administrative Services Sean Kimball and Finance Director Joseph Mancini.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Everyone stood for the pledge of allegiance.

PUBLIC AUDIENCE

No one spoke at public audience.

PRESENTATION OVERVIEW OF BUDGET

• First Selectman’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Presented to the Board of Selectmen

Ms. Heavner said she was pleased to present the town budget for fiscal year 2015-2016 of $19,029,456 for review. The budget represents a $318,093 increase over the current year, or a 1.70 percent increase. She noted that this year’s increase is below the last two years.

She outlined the budget goals as maintaining fiscal responsibility by delivering quality services in the most cost effective manner; ensuring responsible stewardship of our natural resources and town assets to keep Simsbury a vibrant, beautiful, safe and desirable place to raise a family and do business; and modernizing technology to provide transparency, increase efficiencies and meet the current and future needs of our residents.

She went over a few of the major town accomplishments such as the Simsbury Police Department receiving CALEA National Reaccreditation; health Insurance consolidation; managing 18 winter storms; the town receiving the silver bicycle friendly designation; the GIS System being made available to the public; and closing on the Ethel Walker Woods property.

She also went over budget drivers such as negotiated salary increases, two additional police officers, a DPW project administrator and funding for Simsbury Farms.

Ms. Heavner said if the budget was increased only by negotiated salaries, the total budget would have to increase by 1.88 percent.

The "people" cost of the budget break down to 77.6 percent for salaries, pensions, OPEB and insurance (health/life/LTD) and 22.4 percent for contractual services, supplies, utilities and capital.

Ms. Heavner said she crafted the budget with the goal of no increased taxes while keeping in mind the Social Security cost of living increase is 1.7 percent, modest grand list growth, stagnant state aid, mill rate considerations, The Hartford uncertainty and unemployment, which is 4.1 percent in Simsbury and 5.7 percent statewide.

She gave recent budget histories, and showed how the mill rate is distributed. She stated the median net taxable assessment of $194,000 based on an average home value of approx. $277,000, means the median tax bill in Simsbury using the current mill rate of 38.33 is approximately $7,436. Of that, the town portion is $1,481 or $123 per month. She then explained what that monthly amount pays for, such as police protection; road paving and maintenance; snow removal and treatments; library services; town hall services; engineering and capital project services; emergency response; parks, pools and recreational services; and social services and the senior center.

She went over cost savings efforts such as grants received, pension investment returns, health insurance carrier consolidation and lower gasoline prices.

Ms. Heavner stressed that none of the department requests that were submitted were unreasonable. She said the department requests that were submitted would have increased the budget by $815,914, or 4.36 percent, to $19,527,277. Her recommended budget is $19,029,456, an increase of $318,093 or 1.70 percent, which maintains quality core services, fully funds contractual salary and pension requirements, includes funding for two additional police officers, a new public works project administrator and the contribution to Simsbury Farms.

Ms. Heavner briefly reviewed proposed projects for the capital budget.

Joseph Mancini went over the new layout of the budget book.

All the information is available online at: www.simsbury-ct.gov/budget.

DISCUSSION

There was no discussion.

ADJOURN

Ms. Heavner made a motion to adjourn at 5:46 p.m., Nancy Haase seconded, and all voted in favor and the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Stephanie Riefe