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[0:29]
All rise for the pledge, please.
[0:35]
» Can you lead us in the pledge?
>> Yes, sir.
[0:37]
» I aliance to the flag of the United
States of America and to the republic
[0:43]
for which it stands. One nation under
God, indivisible, with liberty and
[0:49]
justice for all.
>> Moment of silence for the men and women
[0:52]
in the armed forces, our first
responders, our veterans, those fighting
[0:57]
the good fight in Ukraine, and those
suffering in the military conflict in
[1:01]
the Middle East. And may those six US
soldiers killed in the line of duty, may
[1:06]
their memories be eternal.
[1:13]
Thank you.
>> [clears throat]
[1:17]
» Diane, do we have anybody for public
participation?
[1:20]
» We do.
[1:27]
» Got it. Hi, Rosanne Patruso, Courtland
Drive. So, I um just came out tonight.
[1:33]
might have been watching the meetings
online um over the pre the presentations
[1:38]
over the watching the meetings online um
over the the presentations over the last
[1:43]
few weeks. I wanted to come out and
voice my support of the board of
[1:46]
education's proposed budget that was
presented by Dr. Parlott.
[1:52]
The budget is a decrease in spending
year-over-year. I believe it
[1:55]
demonstrates fiscally respons um
responsible accounting for the decline
[2:00]
in enrollment numbers but still provides
the level of support for students needs
[2:05]
and to help them um grow as learners.
Dr. Parlato highlighted district
[2:10]
accomplishments last week and like any
other organization she addressed areas
[2:14]
in need of improvement and an action
plan for future success. I believe that
[2:18]
the town council members asked great
probing questions and um I I appreciated
[2:24]
that you participated in discussions
about the inequities of state funding
[2:29]
and unfunded ma mandates during Dr.
Parlott's presentation. I hope that
[2:34]
tonight town council will support the
education budget as it's proposed to
[2:39]
continue moving our district in a
positive direction under Dr. Parlato's
[2:43]
strong leadership and her commitment to
our district. Thank you. Thank you,
[2:46]
Rosanne.
>> Anyone else? Diane.
[2:50]
» No.
>> Anyone else from the public like to say
[2:52]
anything?
>> Okay.
[2:55]
» All right.
>> All right. Katie,
[2:58]
» like move it.
>> Yep.
[3:00]
» Okay.
I'd like to make the motion that we move
[3:06]
for the town of New Milford budget
the amount of $49,581,236.
[3:18]
» Any discussion on the motion for the
town side of the budget?
[3:24]
All those in favor?
>> I
[3:26]
» opposed.
>> Thank you. Any abstensions? Thank you.
[3:30]
Next,
>> I'd like to make the motion that we
[3:34]
approve the board of education budget of
78,773,658.
[3:47]
» We have a second. Any
>> Roland? Yeah.
[3:49]
» Oh, any discussion?
>> All those in favor?
[3:53]
» I.
>> Any opposed?
[3:56]
Any abstensions? So, thank you everyone.
uh before we uh adjourn a couple of
[4:03]
housekeeping items uh that we need to be
aware of. Now what where does the budget
[4:08]
go from here? So the budget now will
move over to the board of finance.
[4:12]
Walter uh who's the chair uh of the
board of finance will be uh holding a
[4:18]
town meeting of which the public can
give input and then they will have an
[4:22]
opportunity to um have their
deliberations if they so choose and then
[4:28]
they can make adjustments that would be
by category [clears throat] if they so
[4:32]
choose. Another thing that we need to be
cognizant about, uh, Olga and I had, uh,
[4:38]
uh, got information from OPM and OPM is
kind of the fiscal, um, entity up in
[4:48]
Hartford. And we talked about this last
year, similar to the same thing this
[4:52]
year, and that is what they call the M,
what is it, OGA? M,
[4:58]
municipal spending cap.
>> M, municipal spending cap. The state
[5:02]
always puts a cap on. This year's cap as
it was last year was 2 point. What's it
[5:08]
this year? 2
>> 2.64.
[5:11]
Last year, the same as the other towns
and the same as New Milford. We are over
[5:16]
that cap. We are at 3.23.
New Fairfield is at 5.8. New Town is at
[5:23]
3.75.
Bethl is at 6.7.
[5:28]
What they what they do is usually wave
that. They haven't given us that yet up
[5:34]
in Harford because they're still going
through their deliberations, but we
[5:38]
wanted to just let everybody know. And
Olga, if in fact they were to keep that,
[5:43]
what happens?
>> So, just a small clarification, it's not
[5:46]
really a cap on the budget. They don't
they don't say that municipalities need
[5:50]
to stay within that cap. that cap is
only applicable um to one uh possible um
[5:58]
revenue that may come from the state. Um
and that's why that cap is applicable.
[6:02]
It's only when in relation to that
grant. So basically the state does have
[6:05]
a municipal revenue sharing grant
um uh actually municipal revenue sharing
[6:11]
fund and from that fund they make
several um payments to municipalities.
[6:16]
Some of those payments are prioritized.
they are statutoily and they are
[6:20]
guarantees. If the funding is um
remaining, if there is available funding
[6:25]
after all those payments are made, then
there is a formula based on which um
[6:30]
Canadian municipalities will receive
additional distributions and that's when
[6:35]
uh the municipal spending cap report
comes into play. Um so basically they
[6:40]
just think that you know if um the
municipality is getting some of that
[6:46]
revenue from the state then they should
be within [clears throat]
[6:49]
this cap um and if the municipality
exceeds that cap that's a choice but
[6:54]
then they will reduce that assistance
>> and over for the last two years
[7:00]
» have we gotten any of that money
>> we have not received any funding from
[7:03]
» have we budgeted any of that money in
our budget that we're currently using
[7:06]
this year
>> uh nothing Right. So, [snorts] we never
[7:10]
got that money the last two years. It's
not in our budget, but we just want to
[7:14]
make sure that everybody knows that that
is something that OPM looks at, but
[7:19]
there's nothing in our budget to reflect
that. So, I just wanted to make sure
[7:22]
everybody knew that. Uh,
>> Mr. Clarification, the 2.64% increase,
[7:27]
is that what you're
>> cap,
[7:32]
right?
>> No, no, no. 2.6 is the cap. Yes,
[7:37]
» would be an increase. I'm sorry. I
apologize.
[7:41]
» And then uh next uh tomorrow
>> [clears throat]
[7:45]
» um the grand list is certified now by
Brian, right? Brian has certified the
[7:51]
grand list. So this has nothing to do
with the budget, so to speak, but the
[7:54]
Homestead Act we're going to be putting
out uh for people to use. uh it's an
[8:00]
estimator. So you be able to plug in
your value of what your new proposed
[8:06]
value is to the value in in 2020. And
that differential right Olga is what's
[8:13]
going to be showing up and it will show
what your if this budget is passed by
[8:18]
the public what your new uh taxes would
be on that.
[8:22]
» But it's 2024 grand list versus 2025
grand.
[8:26]
» Correct.
>> Sorry. Any questions, you can call the
[8:29]
mayor's office and we'll talk more about
that. But I want to thank everybody for
[8:33]
coming tonight. As I said, next step it
goes over to Walter and his crew and
[8:37]
thank you to the town council.
>> Do you have the date?
[8:40]
» No, Walter does that.
>> Do you know what you're going to?
[8:44]
» Yep. Yes.
>> Walter, if you could,
[8:45]
» please. Let's The date is important.
>> Yeah. The date of the town meetings to
[8:50]
be determined. It's uh by
uh town charter uh from your budget is
[8:57]
going to be published in spectrum. After
it's published, there's a time window
[9:02]
that we have to wait between publication
and having the the public hearing and
[9:07]
then we will set a time for our
deliberation. And I encourage everybody
[9:13]
to come to the public hearing if you
want to comment. Last year there was
[9:16]
only five people that commented and the
year before there wasn't much more. So
[9:20]
I'd appreciate if people would show up
and give us their input.
[9:24]
» Great. Thank you, Walter.
>> Welcome.
[9:26]
» Okay. And if I could have a motion to
adjourn.
[9:30]
» Thank you.
>> Second.
[9:31]
» All in favor?
>> I
[9:32]
» opposed. Abstensions. Thank you,
everyone.
[9:36]
» Have a good night. Thank you.
[9:47]
That's
[9:57]
all.