First Selectman's Report - 05/23/2011

I’M PLEASED TO REPORT THAT, AFTER LOTS OF HARD WORK BY TOWN AND BOARD OF EDUCATION STAFF TO PRESENT SENSIBLE BUDGETS WHICH KEPT SPENDING INCREASES TO A MINIMUM, THE VOTERS OF SIMSBURY APPROVED THOSE BUDGETS AT REFERENDUM ON MAY 17, 2011.  IN ADDITION TO THE TOWN AND BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGETS, VOTERS APPROVED MUCH-NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SIMSBURY FARMS COMPLEX, INCLUDING CHANGES TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS AND MUCH MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REFERENDUM, THE BOARD OF FINANCE ADOPTED A MILL RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2011-2012 OF 30.86 MILLS, A 1.1% INCREASE FROM THE CURRENT 30.55 MILLS.  BASED ON A HOME ASSESSED AT $231,000 (OR A HOME VALUED AT $330,000), A HOMEOWNER WOULD PAY AN ADDITIONAL $72.00 IN TAXES.  HERE ARE THE ACTUAL RESULTS FROM THE REFERENDUM:

 

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REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU VOTED, WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT YOU TOOK THE TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS IMPORTANT PART OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.

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I’M PLEASE TO REPORT THAT THE MOST RECENT EDITION OF “HARTFORD MAGAZINE” PLACED SIMSBURY NEAR THE TOP OF ITS MEDIUM-SIZED TOWNS CATEGORY AS A “GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.”  THE MAGAZINE CONSIDERED OVER TWENTY-ONE FACTORS IN THE CATEGORIES OF ECONOMICS, EDUCATION AND QUALITY OF LIFE AND CAME UP WITH WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW – THIS IS A GREAT TOWN!

FROM OUR TERRIFIC SCHOOLS – WHICH PRODUCE THE HIGHEST SAT SCORES AND THE HIGHEST GRADE 8 CMT SCORES IN THE REGION – TO OUR BICYCLE-FRIENDLY STATUS – TO OUR FIRST-RATE LIBRARIES AND LOW CRIME RATES – THERE IS SO MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL FOR HERE IN SIMSBURY.

AND IT ALWAYS MAKES US PROUD WHEN WE ARE RECOGNIZED BY OTHERS FOR THE WONDERFUL THINGS THIS COMMUNITY HAS TO OFFER.

CONNECTICUT MAIN STREET CENTER HAS ANNOUNCED THAT SIMSBURY IS ONE OF ONLY FOUR MAIN STREET ORGANIZATIONS TO BE ACCREDITED AS A 2011 NATIONAL MAIN STREET PROGRAM.  OUR VERY OWN SIMSBURY MAIN STREET PARTNERSHIP IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR “OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS TOWARD THE GOAL OF REVITALIZING . . . HISTORIC MAIN STREET DISTRICTS” AND FOR MEETING ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS SET BY THE NATIONAL TRUST MAIN STREET CENTER.  THE ACCEDITATION IS AWARDED FOR

SIMSBURY MAIN STREET CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE THAT IT IS A VALUABLE PARTNER TO THIS TOWN AND ITS RESIDENTS.  WE CONGRATULATE THEM ON THIS WELL-DESERVED RECOGNITION.

SIMSBURY WILL KICK OFF MEMORIAL DAY FESTIVITIES WITH A PARADE IN TARIFFVILLE BEGINNING AT 9:00 AT THE CORNER OF MAIN STREET AND WINTHROP AND ENDING WITH A MEMORIAL SERVICE AT ST. BERNARD’S CEMETARY.  THIS SHOULD LEAVE YOU TIME TO GRAB SOME LUNCH AND GET A GOOD SEAT FOR THE 1:30 PARADE DOWN HOPMEADOW, WHICH STARTS AT OWENS BROOK BOULEVARD AND ENDS NEAR THE MEMORIAL SERVICE AT THE FRONT OF ENO HALL.

THE AFTERNOON PARADE BOSTS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF VETERANS EVER PARTICIPATING, WITH ALMOST 80 VETERANS MARCHING AND 70 MORE RIDING IN MILITARY VEHICLES AND CLASSIC AUTOMOBILES.  ALL FIVE BRANCHES OF THE SERVICE WILL BE REPRESENTED, AND THE LARGE NUMBER OF FLOATS, MILITARY BANDS AND OF COURSE SIMSBURY’S HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND WILL ENSURE THAT THIS MEMORIAL DAY WILL BE ONE TO REMEMBER.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE MANY DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE SPENT LONG HOURS TO PUT TOGETHER THIS EVENT WHICH IS, FIRST AND FORMOST, MEANT TO HONOR THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY, GUARDED OUR FREEDOM AND ALL TOO OFTEN, PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE.