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Saturday, May 22, 2010

No Dickinson veto; 2010-11 budget stands at $141.4 million

By Dave Moran
Record-Journal staff
dmoran@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224

As published in the Record Journal Saturday May 22, 2010

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WALLINGFORD — Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr.’s 10-day window to veto the Town Council’s approved budget for the coming fiscal year expired Friday without a veto, making the town’s $141,400,488 spending plan for the 2010-11 fiscal year official.

By whittling down a number of items in Dickinson’s initial budget proposal — including eliminating a $25,000 longstanding annual gift to MidState Medical Center, and halving the amount budgeted to the Police Department to buy new police cruisers from $134,000 to $67,000 — the council shaved $109,370 from the total overall budget for the coming year, reducing the tax increase called for in the coming budget by $3.94 for the average residential taxpayer.

The coming budget raises the town’s tax rate from 23.20 mills to 24.08 mills, resulting in a tax hike of about $174 for the average residential assessment of $197,000. A mill equals $1 of tax for each $1,000 of assessed property value.

The council approved the budget in an 8-1 vote May 12, and by Town Charter Dickinson had 10 days to veto the council’s budget.

“From what I understand, he’s not going to veto it, but he still has today to do so,” Comptroller James Bowes, the town’s chief financial officer, said Friday afternoon, adding that he was “not expecting a phone call” from Dickinson before the close of the business day Friday.

Late Friday afternoon, Dickinson said that he “absolutely will not veto the budget.”

“I think overall it’s as good as we can do,” Dickinson said. “Certainly there are aspects of it that I wish could be better. Nobody ever wants to increase taxes.”

The budget also includes a more than $2.5 million reduction in the Board of Education’s funding request for the coming year, which the school board plans to bridge through a number of measures, including utilizing the system’s reserve account and reconfiguring the town’s elementary schools. The budget also includes an across-the-board wage freeze for all town employees although the town has contracts with several unions that guarantee their employees wage increases in the coming year.

Dickinson has said that if salary concessions can’t be reached, the town would look to lay off personnel in the coming fiscal year.

Dickinson, a Republican who has served as mayor since 1984, said he could not remember the last time he did veto a council-approved budget, but that “it has happened.”

“I don’t remember the year, but there were several I vetoed in the 1990s,” he said. “Thankfully, it’s not most of the time.” The 2010-11 fiscal year runs from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2011.

REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING – AGENDA - May 25, 2010

TOWN OF WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT

REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

Town Council Chambers

May 25, 2010

6:30 P.M

1. Opening Prayer – Reverend Margaret Jay, First Congregational Church

2. Pledge of Allegiance and Roll Call

3. Consent Agenda

3a. Consider and Approve Tax Refunds (#753 - #767) totaling $7,131.00 Acct. # 001-1000-010-1170 - Tax Collector

3b. Consider and Approve a Request for use of the Parade Grounds by Wallingford Center Inc. during the Celebrate Wallingford 2010 days October 2, 2010 to October 3, 2010 – Wallingford Center Inc.

3c. Consider and Approve a Transfer in the Amount of $3,100 to Maintenance – Meters Acct # 597 from Distribution Plant- Meters Acct # 370 – Electric Division

3d. Consider and Approve an Appropriation in the amount of $3,000 to Prior Year Fund Expenditures Fwd. Document Preservation Acct # 228-1010-030-2032 and to Fund Expenditures FY 2009-2010 Acct # 228-6030-999-9907– Town Clerk

3e. Consider and Approve Agreement for Services for the Wallingford Regional Solid Waste Project effective July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2030 (10 years with 2 five-year extensions) – Program Planning

3f. Approve Minutes of Regular Town Council Meeting of May 11, 2010

4. Items Removed from the Consent Agenda

5. PUBLIC QUESTION & ANSWER

6. Conduct a Public Hearing at 7:00 P.M. to Consider and Act upon the following ordinance entitled:

AN ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,180,000 FOR THE PLANNING, ACQUISITION AND CONSTRUCTION OF VARIOUS MUNICIPAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS 2010-2011 AND AUTHORIZING THE ISSUE OF $2,180,000 BONDS OF THE TOWN TO MEET SAID APPROPRIATION AND PENDING THE ISSUANCE THEREOF THE MAKING OF TEMPORARY BORROWINGS FOR SUCH PURPOSE

7. 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