Volume 17, Issue 47
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
CRHS Lady Devils are Shoreline champs
Friday, March 4, 2011
Proposed net BOE budget increases 6.25 percent By Stephanie Wilcox Town Times Expenses aren’t up that much (1.74 percent) in the proposed District 13 Board of Education (BOE) budget, but the greater amount needed from the taxpayers is due to a decrease in receipts as well as the depletion of the reserve fund. At the Wednesday night Board of Education meeting, March 2, Superintendent Susan Viccaro presented a summary of the 2011-12 proposed budget. At $33,905,896, it is a 6.25 percent increase — or $1,995,616, over the current year’s budget. District 13 Business Manager Ron Melnik explained to Town Times that expenditures are only going up 1.74
percent; “One of the lowest numbers it’s ever been,” he said. “The problem is in our revenues.” Revenue has dropped by $1.4 million, primarily due to having no fund balance. According to Melnik, almost all of the fund balance was used up last year and this year, and the district brought forward $600,000 worth of anticipated fund balance that ordinarily would have been available this year, “so we’re seeing about a $1.3 million swing,” said Melnik. The other big issue is benefits as health insurance costs have risen 10.6 percent (dental and other insurances like unemployment and workers comp are showing only small increases). About five perSee BOE budget, page 20
Durham selectmen propose town budget with 4.28 percent increase By Cheri Kelley Town Times
The CRHS girls’ basketball team, led by coach Rett Mancinelli, won the Shoreline Conference championship, beating Portland 42-41. Clockwise from top, the winning team; the “cheerleaders”; the roaring fans just after the win; the tradition of cutting down the net. See page 26 for story.
The snow is starting to melt and for Durham’s Board of Selectmen (BOS) it’s time to share their work on the town budget with the Board of Finance (BOF). The BOS presented the 2011-2012 budget proposal at the BOF meeting on Tuesday, March 1. The 2011-2012 proposed budget is $5,538,103, which is an increase of $227,120 or 4.28 percent from the 2010-2011 budget. Local revenues are down 2.03 percent, and state revenues are also down 18.86
In this issue ...
Photos by Karen Kean
Calendar............................4 Durham Briefs ................23 Libraries..........................21 Middlefield Briefs...........22 Sports ..........................25-27
percent. First Selectman Laura Francis said, “The decrease in the grand list was everlooming, and it will be seen as you look through the budget. There were challenges because the local and state revenues have gone down again.” The goals for the proposed budget are to preserve and protect the capital assets of the town of Durham, to retain current standards of services to the residents and to stabilize the Capital account and the mill rate. The challenges that affect the budget, on top of loss of revenue, are many. One is the 6.8 percent decrease in the grand list due to the revaluation. The unavailability of surplus or fund balance, and the cumulative effect of tight budgeting over the past several years were also challenges. Additionally, the health insurance premium rise of 10.8 perSee Durham budget, page 19