By Ashley Kus The Citizen
After over a year without a permanent town manager, some officials are questioning the search process. “We need to have a permanent solution,” said Town Council member Karen Pagliaro, a Democrat, on Thursday, March 8. “Personally I don’t think I’ve seen a timeline or an end in sight.”
10 percent budget hike proposed By Ashley Kus The Citizen
Acting Town Manager Jack Healy is proposing a $93.9 million budget for the 2018-2019 fiscal year, a 10.2 percent total increase over the current year. The increase is a 12.7 percent mill rate spike, used to calculate tax bills. “Despite our best efforts to offset the drivers of this increase, it will not be possible to avoid a mill rate increase and meet operational requirements and capital needs,” Healy said in a letter to the Board of Finance. “The budget being presented addresses legal and contractual obligations, necessary capital expenditures and maintains current service levels.” See Budget, A11
McGee opens ‘Curtains’ on stage this weekend
Others also questioned the process during a recent Town Council meeting. “We’ve used almost every word in the dictionary to describe temporary,” said Board of Finance Chairman Sam Lomaglio, a Republican. “This should not be a (partisan) issue, it should be a Berlin issue.” Public Works Director and Town Engineer Jack Healy, a Litchfield resident, was appointed the temporary town manager in February 2017 after the council agreed to a See Manager, A11
Finance Director Kevin Delaney discusses the acting town Ashley Kus, The Citizen manager’s budget proposal for Berlin.
By Ashley Kus The Citizen
Students at McGee Middle School are stepping back to 1959 to perform the musical “Curtains” this weekend. “This is definitely different than my usual role,” said Emily Roche, an eighthgrader. “It’s something new.” Emily Roche, Katie Terlecky and Meredith Beers in the McGee Middle School musical "Curtains." Ashley Kus, The Citizen
Roche plays Georgia Hendricks, a lead character. Like her classmates in the play,
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Roche was wearing a 1950sinspired costume when The Citizen stopped by during a dress rehearsal. “Normally I do not get big lead roles,” Roche said of the part. Her character, Hendricks, ends up taking on a bigger role when she is cast as the leading lady after the star of the musical “Robbin’ Hood,” within the musical “Curtains,” drops dead. From See ’Curtains’, A12
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Town manager search questioned
Thursday, March 15, 2018
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Volume 22, Number 4