Ellington Board of Finance Approves Budget for Referendum

The Ellington Board of Finance held a special budget deliberation meeting on Thursday to make final preparations to the town budget before it’s presented in just a short couple of weeks. 

The board had held two previous and still wanted to make an extra $500,000 in cuts to bring the mil rate down low enough to be acceptable for residents. 

Chairman of the Board of Finance Robert Clements reminded everyone in attendance that the meeting was just a continuation of the previous budget deliberations, so they jumped right in. 

After the final round of deliberations, the board passed the budget at $46,028,926. This represents a $325,857 increase from last year’s budget, or 0.71 percent. 

Clements had asked First Selectman Maurice Blanchette to contact department heads and have each department take a close look at their budget. 

Blanchette did just that. 

He read the e-mail he sent out to the department heads, where he explained that “unfortunately the budget exceeds the amount the Board of Finance sees as prudent.”  Blanchette asked the department heads to review their budgets, specifically in the areas of professional development and education, contracted services, and travel. Once the departments looked over those areas, they were asked to provide a list where they could make further cuts. 

The department heads Blanchette contacted came up with approximately $200,000 in cuts by replying to the e-mail. Blanchette read the cuts to the Board of Finance for the record at the deliberation. 

These results were:

• The cut an additional $2,425 from their budget.
• The Board of Finance cut $50.
• $785 was cut from the Finance Officer’s budget.
• The Tax Assessor cut a total of $1,975.
• The Tax Collector also cut $1,150.
• $3,300 total was cut from the budget.
• $4,000 was taken out of the Town Counsel’s budget.
• The Town Planner cut a total of $5,750 from its budget as well.
• The Economic Development Committee took $100 out of its budget.
• took an additional $400 from its budget.
• The Zoning Board of Appeals cut $100.
• $500 was cut from the Permanent Building Committee.
• $400 was cut from the Ethics Commission.
• The Inland/Wetland Agency cut another $500.
• The Conservation Committee cut $400 from its budget.
• Emergency 911 found $30 to cut out of its budget.
• The cut a total of $25,000 from their budget as well.
• The budget was cut by $400.
• The Building Department’s budget was also cut by $950.
• Ellington Volunteer Ambulance’s budget, which is mostly self-funded, was cut by $5,000.
• $300 was taken out of the Ad Hoc Emergency Services Committee budget.
• Sanitary Landfill cut a total of $55,000 from its budget.
• Sanitary Recycling also cut a total of $21,000.
• had their budget cut by a total of $1,975.
• $450 was cut from .
• had a total of $13,000 cut from its budget.
• $15,000 was cut out of insurance.
• $12,000 was cut out of the referendum and primaries budget.
• In miscellaneous items, specifically building demolitions and evictions, $5,000 was cut.
• The town web site’s budget was cut by $5,000.
• Grant Applications saw a $3,000 cut as well.

Blanchette computed these cuts as just “a shade under 1 percent (increase.)”

Clements said, “That’s a start, but we still got a way to go.”  

The board made a few additional cuts to the budget.

The budget was cut by $15,000. They took out a camera and allocated some of that money into salaries. 

The board quickly glanced over the budget.

Clements said that “very few budgets in town are less than last year’s… (this) is one of them.” 

They left it alone.

Board of Finance member Mark Joyse suggested taking the budget amount for department heads’ cell phones and cut it in half, which adds up to $7,000 in cuts.

Clements responded by saying, “Why don’t we do that and see who screams.” 

Board of Finance member Richard Cleary said, “Originally I was going to propose an additional $100,000 cut (for the Board of Education).”

Clements asked Superintendent of Schools Stephen Cullinan what that would do to them to have that much more money cut from their budget. 

Cullinan said, “You guys are between a rock and a bigger rock….if it’s $100,000 it’s $100,000.” 

Finance Officer Nicholas DiCorleto reworked the numbers before the deliberation adjourned. 

The annual town meeting, where the approved budget will be presented to residents, is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10 at 8 p.m. in the auditorium. The budget will go straight to referendum, as already approved by the Board of Selectmen.