Southington school budget passes over Democratic objections

By Christian Metzger Record-Journal staff

SOUTHINGTON The Board of Education approved a revised version of the superintendent’s 2024 budget along party lines.

The budget passed Jan. 26 totals $110,980,656, which is $1,069,228 less than the amount worked out at the last budget workshop. It represents a 6.28% increase over the current year’s budget, versus the previously proposed 7.31% increase.

Republicans, who hold a 6-3 majority on the board, caucused privately to discuss the budget, outside of the scheduled workshop meetings, before deciding to support the more than $1 million reduction primarily through the use of the school system’s non-lapsing funds account, which is set aside for projects and safety improvements to district facilities.

The announcement of the budget amount came as a surprise to board Democrats, who said they were not informed of the change ahead of when it was put up for approval. Republican board Chair Colleen Clark said she attempted to get in touch with them so they could be informed.

This upset the Democrats, who said they had not been contacted or made aware of the changes. Democrats Zaya Oshana and Terri Carmody voted against the approval of the revised budget, arguing that the issue should have been brought forward at a public workshop and that taking money from the nonlapsing account compromised student safety by taking funds away from maintenance projects.

“This is a nine-member board, not a six-member board,” Carmody said. “I think it would have been courteous if the three Democrats that are on this board were in some shape or form included in this discussion. It’s very bothersome to

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The cost evaluation at the last meeting came in at an estimated $17,930,367 and with Town Manager Mark Sciota reporting the potential of upwards of $400,000 in donations that could be used to offset costs, it put the project in striking distance of the committee’s $17 million goal.

But with the fluctuating prices of materials and equipment, the scope of the library again increased in price. The architects and construction managers on the project have warned the board that further delays in deciding on amenities and equipment could cause the price to increase though projections for the current markets are improving.

“We can’t forget about the supply chain woes that we’re just continuing with on every single project across the country. Every day we’re finding more and more information, so things are im- proving,” said Project Manager Tim Kostuk of WhitingTurner. “We’re very, very close to our accepted value management.”

Whiting-Turner aims to begin the process of bidding for equipment as soon as possible. The contractor estimates beginning the project in June, with a 14-month build time on the library to be opened in September of 2024.

Kostuk explained that the li- brary wouldn’t likely be completed by the September date, but they would be able to partially open the structure to the public while they finish completing the second parking lot.

Board members moved to consider downsizing several minor items, such as smaller projectors for the community rooms, smaller televisions for the announcement boards and moving over more furniture from the existing building, but it was not enough to get them near the goal.

The construction managers at Whiting-Turner proposed more drastic alternatives for cutting costs, including removing the planned hardscape areas around the building’s exterior, saving over $100,000, to be completed later.

The board didn’t consider the option, believing they locked themselves into completing the exterior hard- scape areas by committing to the exterior sliding door feature for the community room.

Despite wishing to keep those features, Sciota expressed that the board still needed to find ways to cut down the price as much as possible and may need to consider it at a later date. He and the other members planned to meet over the coming weeks to discuss their options, hoping to narrow things down to prevent further delays for bidding and the start of construction.

“Going out to bid when you’re $600,000 dollars over isn’t the smartest move,” Sciota said. “And we’re talking about final plans getting ready to bid in the spring, so these decisions, I agree, can’t wait months.” cmetzger@record-journal.com hold’s earnings are so low it owes no income taxes, it still would receive the full value of the credit via a refund.

The board will present its plans for the library before the Town Council meeting on Feb. 13, when the direction of the project is likely to be decided.

“Numerous studies have shown that the EITC is one of the best anti-poverty tools we can use because it encourages work, boosts economic stability and uplifts generations to come,” Lamont said. “Ultimately, this tax credit helps improve entire communities because these dollars are being invested right back into our local economy through groceries, transportation, clothing, rent, utilities and other necessary expenses. The EITC encourages work and boosts economic stability, and I think it’s about time that we increase it.”

The governor’s proposal is expected to draw strong support from progressive Democrats in the legislature who have argued for years that the combined state and municipal tax systems in Connecticut disproportionately burden low- and middle-income households.

Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, a longtime advocate for a strong tax credit for the working poor, said many Democrats had wanted to enacted a state EITC before 2011 but had been blocked prior to that by Republican governors.

“We can say we want to help people out of poverty, but the EITC is one of the ways to actually accomplish that goal,” Looney said. “The EITC is an important piece of a Democratic budget, and I want to thank Gov. Lamont for including it as a priority.”

Lamont still is expected to face considerable pressure from progressives, though, to support a second expanded income tax credit.

A coalition of Democrats led by state Comptroller Sean Scanlon want a new state income tax credit for families with children.

Scanlon has proposed a $600-per-child credit that offers a maximum of $1,800 per household.

About two-thirds of this credit also would be refundable, ensuring low-income households with little or no income tax liability still would benefit.

This would cost an estimated $450 million per year, about 10 times the value of Lamont’s new relief proposal for the working poor.

The governor prefers to offer tax relief to the middle class by driving down state in come tax rates.

But while this would chiefly help middle class house holds, critics note that it also would provide some relief to wealthier filers, while the child tax credit would not be available to top-end earners.

Representatives of Recovery for All CT, a coalition of more than 60 labor faith and other community groups, endorsed Lamont’s proposal to bolster the EITC.

But they also made it clear that while an extra $211-perpoor family, on average, will help, it is far from a complete solution.

“We share a vision of ending our state’s extreme racial, economic and gender inequities,” said Nelli Jara, executive director of the Connecticut Worker Center in Bridgeport. “Families are choosing between paying utility bills or buying groceries.”

The state’s largest healthcare workers’ union, SEIU 1199 NE, also belongs to Recovery for All CT, and 1199 President Rob Baril reminded those at Tuesday’s press conference that some home care workers in Connecticut are so poorly paid that they have to live in their cars.

“We are delighted to take a step forward toward a more equitable state,” Baril said. “Obviously we still have many, many big problems.”

Rep. Anne Hughes of Easton, a progressive Democrat and also affiliated with Recovery for All CT, said many of her fellow Democrats the legislature’s majority still want to see Lamont back the child tax credit.

“Tax justice is our Number One priority and the reason is we don’t see any other way of addressing the other converging crises,” Hughes said.

Unless the state can ease its disproportionately high tax burden on low- and moderate-income households, Hughes added, too many families will remain unable to afford decent housing and health care.

The imbalance also is contributing to a growing worker shortages in vital segments of the economy that tend to be underpaid, she said, adding this includes health care workers, early childhood development staff, and teachers.

This story originally appeared at ctmirror.org, the website of The Connecticut Mirror.

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