The majority of Stratford residents who came out Tuesday night to speak publicly to the Town Council about Mayor John A. Harkins’s proposed 2013-14 budget were supportive of maintaining spending for a particular program, such as the library and Baldwin Senior Center, and increasing spending for education.
Only a few speakers at the forum questioned spending in an area such as employee pensions, or directly requested that the budget be reduced.
[For separate story on Public Forum from Wed. April 17, please see "Four speak at forum" in news section.]
Recent years’ public forums on proposed budgets have been known for their rancor, but meeting veterans described this one as “tame.”
There were about 40 people attending the meeting, which was held at Stratford High School, and 18 went to the podium to speak.
Seven spoke to the council about the general importance of quality education in Stratford, and five of those directly urged that the schools be “fully funded” with the increase requested by the Board of Education.
The Board of Education has requested an increase of 3.18%, or $2.9 million, over last year’s $93.9-million budget.
The mayor’s budget proposal calls for a smaller increase for schools — $1.5 million, which would be a 1.6% increase.
Overall, the mayor’s proposed budget for the town and education is $192,596,240, which is $1,734,599 (0.009%) more than the current year plan of $190,861,641.
Kelly Spellman, Board of Education member Andrea Veilleux, Mike Andracik, and other Stratford school parents spoke passionately about quality education.
Another school parent turned to the audience and asked those present to stand if they favored the Board of Education’s budget request. An estimated 80% of attendees stood up.
Kathleen Faggella spoke of the Baldwin Center as “a treasure in our midst” with its wide array of services particularly for seniors. She asked the council to add a full-time secretary to handle the 300 daily calls and 150 visitors and to allow other staff members to do their jobs.
Richard Elias was one of the library supporters who spoke, and he said he has noticed a wide variety of people using the library, and the library helps to establish a sense of community in town.
“We have a jewel here, and I don’t want to see it go downhill,” Elias said.
Robert Hargus asked the council to cut the budget and offered suggestions. He said the position of director of senior services could be merged with the director of community development. He said at least one position in the mayor’s office and in the [chief administrative officer’s] office could be eliminated.
“Both are overstaffed,” said Hargus.
He said only one assistant principal is needed at the high schools, and there could be one department head by subject to cover both high schools, rather than one department head by subject in each of the two schools.
There was one exception to the calm tone of the forum when resident George Mulligan went over the five-minute limit and would not conclude after being repeatedly asked to by committee Chairman Ken Poisson. Mulligan had to be shouted away from the podium by Poisson and another councilman.
Mulligan was challenging the councilmen about “covert” taxes such as sewer fees, what he sees as high costs of compensation and pension benefits for town workers, and whether the timer for speakers was used properly. He went on to say that he suspects his tire was slashed in the past and he was possibly poisoned over the years in retribution for speaking out against local officials.
Harkins was in the audience for much of the meeting, and he told The Star, “This budget maintains services. How can you cut the budget without cutting services?”
Harkins said his administration is talking with interim Schools Superintendent Margaret Lasek and expects that she will be able to find some savings in special education.
Lasek told The Star that “the BOE budget has outlined significant ‘cost avoidance’ measures for the 2013-14 school year in special education.” She said that results of an audit of the special education program “will probably not be available until after the 2014 budget is set by the council.” Further, Lasek said, “the audit may or may not yield any positive results related to additional savings when complete.”
The system for budget approvals in Stratford has the Board of Education submit its request to the mayor, who then presents a combined school and town budget to the Town Council for approval as an ordinance. The council’s Ordinance Committee then conducts public forums before voting on the budget.