SOMERS — The Board of Finance on Tuesday unanimously approved a proposed $37 million general fund budget for 2022-23 — a reduction of $723,912 from the original requests — but not before First Selectman Timothy R.E. Keeney criticized Chairman Michael Parker for asking that the town and schools look at requests that could be funded by American Rescue Plan Act money.
The revised budget, a 4% increase over the current year, uses $75,000 from the fund balance. The plan will go to a public hearing April 19.
The current tax rate is 26.66 mills, and the budget is projected to carry an increase of 0.9 mills.
Over the past few months, the Board of Finance has met with School Superintendent Brian Czapla and Keeney to hear their proposed budgets and has asked them to reduce their 5.96% and 6.7% increases, respectively, by either cutting items or finding requests that could be funded by the federal relief funds.
Parker said he was hesitant to put taxpayers under strain from such budget increases and advised a 4% combined increase across the board. He asked Czapla and Keeney to work with Chief Financial Officer Michael Marinaccio to find ways to pay for some of the increases through ARPA money.
Before the vote Tuesday, Keeney said he has concerns about the way budget cuts were handled by the Board of Finance.
“I think the Board of Selectmen would agree with me that taking money from the fund balance is the way to go, leaving ARPA funds where they will be available for future needs of the town,” he said. “These are special revenue funds, not an appropriation.”
In June and July 2021, Keeney said there was an unwritten agreement for the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance to set up a process for considering ARPA expenditures.
“I think the Board of Selectmen was a little naïve that there would be rational behavior by the Board of Finance,” he said. “Chairman Parker has cajoled the school superintendent and the town’s finance director to do anything possible to take budget funds from ARPA, ignoring concerns that this might be inappropriate.”
Keeney said it seemed the Board of Finance was trying to spend all the town’s ARPA funds in one night and that Parker’s idea of only a 4% budget increase over the current year is arbitrary. The fund balance is more than it needs to be to retain the town’s bond rating, he said.
“Chairman Parker: I think what you are trying to do tonight is not responsible, it’s not appropriate, and it’s not in Somers’ best interest,” he said.
Czapla responded by saying he did not appreciate Keeney characterizing that he was pressured into doing anything with the budget, and that he and Parker have worked collaboratively over the years on a budget that would be responsible to the town and would support the school system. This year’s process was no different, Czapla said, and was a collaborative fact-finding mission to find alternative funding sources.
“I reject wholeheartedly that you put pressure on me or anyone else,” he said to Parker.
The board also approved the proposed $1,017,191 capital budget for 2022-23, which includes the use of $531,690 in ARPA funds.
Somers has $3.2 million in COVID-19 relief aid to use for allowed purposes per state and federal law. The money must be allocated by Dec. 31, 2024 and spent by Dec. 31, 2026. To date, approved allocations from the total $3,191,531 are $385,050 by the Board of Selectmen and $566,691 by the Capital Improvement Plan. Being considered but not yet approved is $2,150,764, with $89,026 reserved for future projects.
For more coverage of Somers and Ellington, follow Susan Danseyar on Twitter: @susandanseyar, Facebook: Susan Danseyar, reporter.
