PROSPECT — Voters approved the town’s 2019-20 budget as well as two other spending resolutions May 2 at a town meeting.
The nearly $9.1 million town budget, which voters approved 117 to 44, increases municipal spending by $456,906, or roughly 5.3 percent, over this fiscal year’s budget.
The bulk of the increase — $291,827 — comes from increases for salaries and benefits, which make up 48 percent of town spending.
“We all worked well together, Democrats and Republicans. We put a good budget together. It passed, and I think everybody’s comfortable with it,” Town Council Chairman Jeff Slapikas said. “There’s not much more we can do because we don’t know what’s going on as far as the (state) legislature goes.”
Following the town meeting, the council tabled action on setting the tax rate for 2019-20. The state budget isn’t set and how much the town will receive in revenue — particularly its Education Cost Sharing grant — remains unknown. The tax rate is likely to be set in June.
The town budget doesn’t include educating spending for Region 16, which oversees public schools in Beacon Falls and Prospect. A district meeting to vote on the proposed $40.73 million school budget is Monday at 7 p.m. at Long River Middle School. The school budget keeps spending flat, but Prospect’s net education cost is estimated to increase about $500,000 based on projected state funding, which is in flux, and an increase in the percentage of students in the region from Prospect.
“As far as we’re concerned, we’re trying to be as tight as we can. We’ve been doing that, and I said that when I took over as chair two years ago that I don’t want to see any increases that are not necessary; try to keep the mill rate as low as we can. And, if we can hold it, we’ll hold it. If it’s got to go up, it’s out of our hands,” Slapikas said.
One of the largest increases in the town spending plan is for the Prospect Police Department.
The department’s budget is going up $134,673, or 13.5 percent, to $1.12 million. The budget includes an additional $11,000 for the resident state trooper program and $124,515 more for officer salaries. The hike for officer salaries includes adding one more patrol shift each day for the midnight shift and additional tactical shifts, which target specific issues when needed.
The town will also be paying $111,460 more next fiscal year on its debt, which includes $97,950 in principal and interest payments on a 2018 bond for road repairs.
The town has issued a bond for road work several times over the past few years. The coming fiscal year will be no different after voters supported borrowing up to $900,000 for more road work by a vote of 128 to 33.
Officials plan to mill, pave, replace catch basins and do some drainage work on 14 roads, including Bronson Road, Pinecrest Drive, Plank Road, Center Street and Old Schoolhouse Road, with the funds.
Voters also approved buying a new dump truck by a vote of 123 to 38. The town will pay for the truck, which will replace a 29-year-old truck public works uses now, over a five-year lease for a total cost of $232,090. The old truck will be sold at auction.
