Budget vote this Tuesday.....thoughts of the First Selectman

As Brookfield’s First Selectman, I urge ALL Brookfield voters to vote YES on May 21 to support the 2013-2014 budget. The proposed budget is a reasonable compromise between those who want additional services and those who want to keep taxes under control. Frankly, the budget that we will vote on pleases no one. Some residents want to see more services, such as the hiring of two full-year School Resource Officers in the Police Department. Others want a lower budget to keep taxes low. As is often the case, when nobody is really happy, the budget is a good compromise. For those that are inclined to vote no because they are seeking more funding for schools or special projects, my advice is that this is not a good tactic. Based on long experience, I can tell you that a defeated budget results in the next budget being lower, not higher. A no vote will backfire. For those who want a lower budget because they think spending is out of control, here are a few incontrovertible facts: Since I took office three years ago, the average budget increase has been the Town’s lowest for the past 20 years. When this budget is approved on May 21, the four-year average still will be the lowest in the past 20 years. Brookfield consistently has the lowest equalized mill rate of all local towns and one of the lowest in the entire state. We deliver more municipal and education services per tax dollar, period! I strongly support both the municipal side AND the education side of this budget. We have an excellent school system that has achieved state and national recognition during the past few years. It is a school system that is run economically and efficiently. The budget you will be voting on is a tight one. If the budget is defeated, reductions on both the municipal and education side will have a noticeable, negative impact. At the referendum, the budget vote will have two questions: you will vote on the municipal budget and you will vote on the education budget. Both questions must be approved for the total budget to be passed. You will see two advisory questions on the ballot asking your opinion of the municipal budget and the education budget: too high, adequate, too low. Responding to these questions is voluntary. The questions do not affect voting on the budget itself. You will also vote to approve a $2.5 million WPCA sewer project for three condominium developments. No municipal tax funds are involved with this project. WPCA sewer project costs are paid only by those benefited by the project through a special assessment. During the past three years, only about 35-40% of eligible residents voted in the budget referendum. Sixty percent of Brookfield residents did not vote and basically said: Let the other guy decide things for me. If you really care about your town and your schools, vote on May 21. A YES vote will approve the budget and assure that Brookfield continues to move forward. I urge you to vote YES three times next Tuesday: YES for the municipal budget; YES for the education budget; YES for the sewer project. Thank you