Since the mayor has given the order to stop providing the Town Council and other meetings online, I have decided that in light of fact that there are other towns coming online to do this that I will provide the meetings as I am able to.
It’s your town – get informed and get involved
Wallingford Town Council Meeting - SEPT 14, 2010 - PART 1
Wallingford Town Council Meeting - SEPT 14, 2010 – PART 2
Wallingford Town Council Meeting - SEPT 14, 2010 - PART 3
Since the mayor has given the order to stop providing the Town Council and other meetings online, I have decided that in light of fact that there are other towns coming online to do this that I will provide the meetings as I am able to.
It’s your town – get informed and get involved
Wallingford Town Council Meeting - AUG 17, 2010
Since the mayor has given the order to stop providing the Town Council and other meetings online, I have decided that in light of fact that there are other towns coming online to do this that I will provide the meetings as I am able to.
It’s your town – get informed and get involved
Wallingford Town Council Meeting - JUL 13, 2010
As published in the Record Journal on Sunday November 21, 2010
Jason Zandri
In last week’s From Wallingford, my counterpart, Steve Knight, reviewed recent election outcomes. He said across the nation’s “free-spending pols were shown the door,” but that here in Connecticut, the “Land of Steady Habits,” it would be more of the same with respect to spending money we don’t have.
I am willing to give the newly elected officials an opportunity to put their best effort forward before I assert that same conclusion.
As long as we’re on this subject — the “Land of Steady Habits” — I’d like to focus on Wallingford, because to claim that only Hartford and Washington are guilty is like the pot calling the kettle black.
Mayor Dickinson, true to his word, carried out his administrative decision to cut services if unions won their arbitration case. He is the Mayor and that is his prerogative.
Judgment in arbitration cases against the town comes as no surprise to most. One factor, for better or worse, when it comes to rendering a decision in these instances is a town’s ability to pay. Wallingford has solid ability to pay with (as of the end of the 2008-09 fiscal year) $20.4 million in its fund balance plus $11.8 million in undesignated funds that are not allocated to any one time capital purchases or expenditures. That doesn’t include an additional $7.2 million payment received from the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority when Covanta took over the trash plant.
Having ability to pay is a double edged sword. It means our reserves are bountiful and we only have gotten there through conservative management which I do appreciate. One consideration of this of course is that in order to build up a reserve like that you need to be overtaxing. Municipalities can build up reserves when they have excess tax dollars remaining at the end of an annual budget cycle. Taxes and mill rates are set to correspond so that money coming in matches money going out to pay for these services. If you overspend you go into an operating deficit which generally becomes a debt that is mortgaged into future tax payments.
Not a good thing.
Building up some reserve makes sense. If there is a small gap from something unexpected it can be covered with savings. If enough money can be put aside then tax payers reap the benefit of excellent interest rates like Wallingford has when it does need to go out and borrow money.
Once you cross a certain threshold of money in the bank all that additional excess is not going to further improve your bond rating. If your largest single contingency without bonding can be covered by the difference then all monies saved past that combined point are of minimal additional positive impact.
When met with a situation of funding a critical service like EMTs I think the last choice which a town with a surplus should be taking is cutting that service back. One percent interest on $20 million dollars is $200,000.00 — twice what is needed to fund the arbitration award. With interest only and as a stop gap measure we could solve this problem; that would keep present levels of EMT service in place and leave the principal balance untouched. When the economy recovers and the grand list grows you can cut that stop gap measure.
If we don’t want to do that for whatever reason then I suggest the choice of cutting other non-critical services back before cutting EMTs.
Coming in as last choice is a resort to raising taxes. The median household tax bill would go up about three dollars to fund the arbitration award. Any of these choices are better than cutting any critical service that could put people at unnecessary risk in times of dire need.
Certain scenarios could place Wallingford at a higher risk of possible liability if it can be shown the reduction of this critical service was directly responsible for additional injury or loss of life.
Juries will find Wallingford has ability to pay out in a lawsuit just as easily.
Craig Fishbein got the email off to me this week – The Wallingford Fireworks Fund is 501 (C) (3) tax exempt as of May 10, 2010.
Thanks Craig for all the foot work on this behind the scenes – you rock.
If you donated to the cause this past year you CAN take a deduction on your taxes as it IS effective as of this PAST May 10th of 2010.
Thank you for your support in 2010 and we hope you can support us again in 2011
As published in the Record Journal Tuesday November 9, 2010
By Jaclyn Hirsch
Record-Journal staff
jhirsch@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2234
WALLINGFORD — The first of many discussions about next school year’s budget started Monday night during the Board of Education Operations Committee’s meeting.
“There’s a lot on our plate. I’m not going to deny that fact,” School Superintendent Salvatore Menzo said.
The board invited Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. and Patrice McCarthy, deputy director and general counsel for the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, to talk about budget projections and get an idea of what next fiscal year could look like for the district.
Dickinson and McCarthy had little good news to report, but offered advice on how to look for money in this tough economic climate.
Dickinson said unless the state or federal government pumps money into the economy, town officials are not expecting any new money or increase in existing revenues.
About 85 percent of the town’s money comes from local taxpayers, which surprised many board members.
“We are tremendously dependent on what’s happening to the local tax base,” board member Jay Cei said. “I never realized it was that concentrated in local sources.
”McCarthy urged Board of Education members and educators at Monday’s meeting to continue pushing for state money from the legislature.
“The advocacy role is critical,” she said. “Advocacy does matter.”
She said the government is moving to more competitive grants with strings attached, which are more difficult for smaller school districts to win because of the manpower and time it takes to apply for grants.
“That’s sort of something that every community has to weigh,” she said.
Menzo said administrators still plan to hold onto the $1.2 million in federal money earmarked for job saving or creation, which Dickinson applauded. The money must be used by September 2012.
Menzo said he and his staff have started to look at budget numbers and are in the beginning stages of the conversation. He plans to meet parents in an open forum Wednesday night at Sheehan High School, and see teachers and principals at other schools next week to continue the budget conversation.
Town Council Chambers
6:30 P.M
AGENDA
1. Opening Prayer – The Reverend Margaret Jay, First Congregational Church
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call
2. Consider and Approve Appointment of James D. McManus to Pension Commission for a term effective immediately and expiring December 31, 2011 - Mayor
3. Consider and Approve the Appointment of Debra Buckman to the Wallingford Housing Authority as Tenant Commissioner for a five-year term effective immediately and expiring October 31, 2015 – Robert F. Parisi, Chairman
4. Consent Agenda
4a. Consider and Approve Tax Refunds (#428 - #458) totaling $2,422.85 Acct. # 001-1000-010-1170 - Tax Collector
4b. Acceptance of Donation from Jason Michael, Wallingford resident and local businessman, for Disc Gold course, removable targets valued at $2,893 for use at Lufbery Park – Parks and Recreation
4c. Consider and Approve a Resolution authorizing the Mayor to make application to the Department of Social Services in such amounts as may be made available for undertaking a Hispanic Human Resource Development Program – Program Planning
4d. Consider and Approve an Agreement that requires S.C.O.W. as our subcontractor to fulfill all terms and conditions of the Hispanic Human Resources Development Program Grant – Program Planning
4e. Consider and Approve Job Description for Stockperson - Electric Division – Personnel
4f. Consider and Approve Job Description for Drafting Technician - Electric Division – Personnel
4g. Consider and Approve a Resolution Authorizing the Mayor to enter into and amend Contractual Instruments in the Name of and on Behalf of the Wallingford Community Day Care Center Inc. with the Department of Social Services of the State of Connecticut for a Child Day Care Program – Mayor
4h. Consider and Approve an Agreement between the Town of Wallingford and the Wallingford Community Day Care Center, Inc. recognizing that the Town has executed a contract with the State of Connecticut Commissioner of Social Services for Funding Programs to be carried out by said Day Care Center Acting of Behalf of the Town – Mayor
4i. Consider and Approve a Resolution permitting the Wallingford Community Day Care Center Inc. to borrow from the Town of Wallingford amounts necessary to meet the essential operation expenses of said Day Care Center prior to the time its program is approved for funding from the state of Connecticut - Mayor
4j. Consider and approve a Transfer in the Amount of $22,000 to Tools, Shop and Garage Equipment Acct # 394 from Distribution Plant-Station Equipment Acct # 362 - Electric division
4k. Approve minutes of Special Town Council meeting of November 1, 2010
5. Items Removed from the Consent Agenda
6. PUBLIC QUESTION & ANSWER
7. Consider and Approve a Transfer in the Amount of $8,200 to Purchased Professional Services - Negotiations Acct # 001-1300-901-9002-00 from Contingency General Purpose Acct # 001-7060-800-3190-00 - Mayor
8. Report regarding implementation of arbitration awards for IAFF, Local 1326 and AFSCME, Council 4, Local 1183 - Mayor
9. Consider and Approve Bid Waiver to utilize process other than public bidding for consideration and selection of pension portfolio investment managers – Pension Commission
10. Executive Session pursuant to §1-200 (6) (D) of the Connecticut General Statutes with respect to the purchase, sale and/or leasing of property – Mayor
