Thursday, March 22, 2018
www.berlincitizen.com
Volume 21, Number 6
Several capital item requests OK’d School budget tabled
By Ashley Kus The Citizen
Several capital item requests for the town and school board were approved by the Board of Finance at a recent budget meeting in the amount of $2.3 million with the addition of $900,000 in bonding to include the replacement of the artificial turf at Sage Park’s Scalise Field.
By Ashley Kus The Citizen
A budget number for the Board of Education is on hold after the Board of Finance agreed to table the decision until this week.
“We can’t really avoid bonding,” said Sam Lomaglio, chairman of the finance board.
“We threw a lot of numbers around,” said Sam Lomaglio, chairman of the finance board.
There was discussion on whether bonding Scalise Field was a good plan regarding the amount of debt the town still has to pay on the high school renovation project. Members of the board agreed to revisit the plan to bond the field on a five-year short term note if need be. The Board of Finance met to discuss the budget recently.
Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, also the Berlin High School football coach, previously spoke to the finance board about future improve-
Ashley Kus, The Citizen
ments to the field. “I appreciate what you’re doing,” he said. “There’s a lot of things we can do if we work togethSee Capital, A6
Town cuts, reductions discussed By Ashley Kus The Citizen
Several cuts and reductions to the acting town manager’s proposed $93.9 million budget for the 2018-
2019 fiscal year were discussed during the finance board. “Everyone has to take a hit.” a Board of Finance meeting Tuesday night, March 13. The new finance board, created by “There’s going to be hurt no matter what,” said John Richards, member of See Budget, A20
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“I tried to come in as low as possible for the budget,” Brian Benigni, superintendent of Berlin schools, said Friday. He said he wanted to look at additional savings in the benefits line for school employees and come back with a new number. The finance board has voted on all aspects of the budget so far except for the school side. Several items on the town See School, A3
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The turf field is 14 years old. Replacement of the field, which has an average life of 10 years, was not included in the budget last year and was initially part of the general capital budget this year.
He said Thursday night, March 15 he met with members of the school board hours before the finance meeting to discuss the budget.