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FAIRFIELD, Conn. Fairfields spending for the next year climbed again Thursday night. The Board of Finance made cuts to the Department of Public Works, the H. Smith Richardson Golf Course, legal fees and the library Thursday. But it also added more than $332,000 to Fairfields overall budget for 2012-13.
The increase came from a change in Fairfields contribution to its pension fund. The towns actuaries recommended cutting $820,000, based on its predictions for the towns needs next year. The finance board decided to restore that funding to take a more conservative approach.
This isnt really spending, said Kenneth Brachfeld, who proposed the change. This is truly investing in the towns future. This money is going into the pension fund one way or another over time, and I think were making a responsible move by doing it sooner rather than later.
To counteract the extra spending, the board made cuts in a few areas. The group trimmed $63,000 from the towns legal services fund, keeping the account at current levels. The board also put off buying more than $260,000 worth of equipment for public works and the golf course.
The Fairfield Public Library will also get $27,400 less than expected in its library materials funding, which goes towards buying new books and electronic services subscriptions. The cut keeps the account at the same number as in the current year.
This was a tough one, said Robert Bellitto, who called for the cut. But we need to find savings in other places in the budget to keep tax rates as low as we can.
Fairfield Public Schools gained back the $250,000 cut by the Board of Selectmen earlier this week, but that money did not cause a rise in the overall tax rate. Based on new information from Fiscal Officer Paul Hiller, the finance board took money that was earmarked for the towns surplus to restore the cut to the schools system.
A host of nonprofit organizations also dodged a funding bullet Thursday night. Bellitto proposed cutting all nonrequired funding to outside groups. The move could have amounted to more than $700,000 and affected as many as 14 agencies, including the Fairfield Museum and History Center, Grasmere by the Sea and the Kennedy Center.
Its no reflection on the quality of work these organizations do, Bellitto said. Im just uncomfortable with the process, and I just believe that we need to find some savings somewhere in this budget to mitigate the tax increase.
The Board of Finance shot down his proposal by a 7-2 vote. Many thought that it would be unfair to cut those contributions without giving the agencies a chance to make their case. To me, its really blindsiding them, said board member Robert Stone.
In total, the Board of Finances changes mean that Fairfields spending is on track to increase by 3.9 percent for 2012-13. That would lead to an increase in tax bills of a little more than 4 percent this summer.
The towns legislature, the Representative Town Meeting, will have the final say. It is scheduled to make its own changes in its final vote during the first week of May.
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