Reprinted from The Connecticut Post © Copyright 2010
February 11, 2010

By Meg Barone

TRUMBULL -- First Selectman Timothy Herbst is proposing a $135.7 million town budget for 2010-11 that would cut more than $3 million from all departmental spending requests and inches the mill rate upward slightly.

Herbst unveiled his spending recommendations of $135,722,167, the first since his election last November, on Wednesday. A town police officer delivered budget books to members of the Board of Finance during Wednesday's snowstorm.

In the budget proposal, Herbst recommends reducing the town-side requests by $1.6 million and the education budget by $1.4 million.

The 2010-11 proposal represents an increase in expenditures of less than 1 percent over the current town budget. Herbst, however, said a looming revenue shortfall of $3 million caused by a loss of state aid and an over-projection of local revenues pushes the overall increase to 1.95 percent.

Under his proposal, the tax rate would jump from 24.07 to 24.54 mills.

"Not too bad under the conditions," said Robert Cook, chairman of the Trumbull Taxpayers' Association. "I think he's done a good job for the short time he's been in office. The revenue shortfalls bother me, but that's beyond his control," he said.

-Herbst said the process of putting together the budget caused him sleepless nights.

"We had to make some difficult and necessary decisions to bring in a budget that I thought was responsible and that I feel the taxpayers can handle," he said. "I could not, in good conscience, raise taxes 2 percent, 3 percent, 4 percent, 5 percent in this economy with people out of work, losing their homes, putting their homes on the market because they can't afford to stay here, losing their investments," he said.

Herbst proposes reducing the town side of the budget by not filling current vacancies, deferring property revaluation and deferring an EMS radio upgrade.

Finance board members said it's premature to comment on Herbst's proposal, but some did offer general reactions.

"He's trying to hold true to his word to the constituents who voted him into office. There's something to be said for taking a hard look at the operating budgets on the town side and the education side ... I'm certain not everyone will agree with his cuts," said board Chairman Kenneth Martin.

On the issue of education spending, Martin said, "There's that fine balance of trying to keep your school system strong and have what teachers need and to also balance the actual brick and mortar and some of the ancillary things that go along with it. That's something that I'll focus on: what's realistic for the schools and what's realistic for the town."

Bill Crooks, a finance board member and former business administrator for the town's school system for 36 years, said he is concerned about the amount that Herbst reduced from the education budget, "but without seeing details I can't say it's fair or unfair."

Crooks said the town's contribution to the education budget coupled with another $1.2 million from state funding sources, will bring the total increase to 2.25 percent or 2.50 percent over current spending. "Is that sufficient for the school system to operate efficiently and effectively? That is a question we will have to answer in the weeks to come ... I'm going to be looking at what's best for the educational system," he said.

The first of two Board of Finance public hearings on Herbst's proposed budget will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in Madison School.