East Haddam Budget Undergoes Minor Tweaks after Public Hearing

After hearing public comment on June 10, the Board of Finance unanimously decided to recommend a $28,359,313 town budget, which will increase the town's mill rate by 4.49 mills if it passes at referendum. 

The Board kept the $6,333 cut to the Board of Ed cut they had discussed at the previous Board of Finance meeting last week. This was the amount of savings realized from retirement of a paraprofessional. 

After several residents spoke in favor of awarding two town employees, the tax collector and the Park and Rec Director, their full raises for the 40 hour work week they both work, which had been cut out of the amended budget, the Board voted to reinstate that pay increase. This resulted in $8,099 being put back into the Board of Selectmans budget. It was explained that both of these positions work an average 40+ hours a week but only get paid for 35 hours per week. 

"Those 5 hours more for our director is necessary to growth our services to community," said  Brad Parker, a member of the Park and Rec Department. "our department has a total of 107 programs, and 1,200 people participant in those programs. Our director manages 161 people; she's probably the person who manages most people in town. The reduction that was made after the meeting last week to drop her down affects our program. We cannot keep asking our one full time to work 10 hours unpaid. I ask you to reconsider these things and those hours  be reinstated."

"The employee pay cuts on the town side were proposed last week with the anticipation that there would be Board of Ed cuts," said First Selectman Mark Walter. "We had proposed to cut the tax collectors and Park and Rec Director's increases in half and do it over a two year period. But, both these employees easily work a 40 hour work week, and their full raises still put us ahead on the budget."

Other points that were brought up repeatedly on the Town side of the budget by residents included debates about town purchased Open Space, the state of the old Middle School, and observations about the latest referendum. Concerning the latter point, a handfull of residents mentioned that it had not been well communicated what the day of the referendum was, that the signs advertising voting were too small, and the voting hours were not convenient.

What's Next?
Town Meeting, Wednesday, June 19th at 8PM at the old town hall (492 Town Street).