budgetprocessfy2008-09

FORUM reports "deliberation" meeting on April 3 by the Board of Finance makes a 4-3 decision NOT to cut the School Budget; Town budget untouched.

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Budget discussed at Board of Finance Public Hearing on FY'09 Budget - April 1, 2008 (not a complete document--text on education budget not included):
Board of Finance Public Hearing at the Middle School Cafeteria re:the budget, over in 45 minutes (quite a few speakers). First came Town Administrator, then Chair. of the Board of Education, then the Superintendent of Schools. Public represented by all P.T.O. Presidents separately; then advocate for elderly suggesting caution in financial matters in these difficult times (cited foreclosures). Then every other speaker supported the school budget. One asked why the Board of Selectmen had recommended a $200,000 cut. "About Town" stood to support the professionalism of town and school staff.

Q U I C K S T U D Y O F W E S T O N B U D G E T : Please note that there are several outright mistakes of fact in the Preliminary Budget Review Schedule.
Dates to remember in reverse chronological order for 2008 plus hints about the process; bold face indicates public input meeting.

Monday, April 21, 2008 at 8pm, location T.B.A. - Annual Town Budget Meeting
Thursday, April 3, 2008 at 8pm, we assume at Town Hall - Board of Finance meeting where cuts may be made prior to ATBM
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 at 8pm, location T.B.A. - Board of Finance Public Hearing on the FY'09 budget

No meetings in the month of March

Monday - Thursday February 25-28 - Board of Finance review of Town, Education budgets.
Thursday February 7 - Board of Selectmen vote on First Selectman's Budget - THIS NOW BECOMES THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN'S BUDGET
BOARD OF EDUCATION ACTION ON ITS BUDGET REPORT HERE...
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What is the largest part of the Town of Weston budget? Education costs!

Education budget developed by the Board of Education separate and apart from the "Town" side--the Selectmen's Budget.
Link here to the Board of Education budget schedule.

At the Board of Selectmen's Meeting of November 1, 2007 this schedule was adopted. Here it is in PDF format.

Please link here to reports of last year's BUDGET PROCESS...

Watch the power point presentation of the Selectmen's Budget here.
At the televised Board of Finance meeting Monday, February 25, 2008, review of the Selectmen's Budget minus the Capital Budget, too place. Finished in one, really long meeting. Lots of comment on poor outlook for revenues from construction for next year, a complaint about SWRPA's 10% increase and report of Planning and Zoning budget containing funds to hire a consultant for the redo of the Town Plan.

NOTE: "About Weston" did not attend these "Special" morning and afternoon meetings noted below of the Board of Selectmen - we had work to do and appointments already in hand and could not attend...and we doubt if other members of the public got a chance, either. It is our understanding that the Board of Selectmen DID NOT approve the Capital Budget at either of these meetings.

SPECIAL SELECTMEN’S MEETING AGENDA
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2008 2pm
TOWN HALL MEETING ROOM
• Discussion/decision regarding the First Selectman’s Budget

AND

SPECIAL SELECTMEN’S MEETING AGENDA
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2008 9:30 AM
TOWN HALL COMMISSION ROOM
• Discussion/decision regarding the First Selectman’s Budget

Capital Planning Committee held a second meeting and approved Capital Budget items - must be approved by the Board of Selectmen, we thought, by Feb. 25th...
CAPITAL PLANNING COMMITTEE has first meeting of perhaps three...Friday, Feb. 8, 2008 at 8am in the Town Hall Meeting Room
Present were: First Selectman Woody Bliss, Chair. of the Board of Finance Mike O'Brien, Jerry Sargent, V-P Finance, Bob Atkinson, Finance; Ellen Uzenoff, Chair., Board of Education, Dr. John Reed, Acting Superintendent of Schools, Joanne Keating, Director of Finance, Dan Clarke, Director of Facilities; Joe Fitzpatrick, Chair., Building Committee, Allen Swerdlowe, Chair., Alternative Energy Subcommittee; Tom Landry, Town Administrator, Rick Darling Director of Finance.

Capital Requests as recommended by the First Selectmen discussed and OK'd with condition that further info be brought to next meeting on Old Post Office roof. Then discussion of draft Kaestle Boos report took place. It was noted that the High School Auditorium costs might be raised higher by additional work to modernize design ( i.e. redo ceiling of auditorium to remove old track for non-functioning divider wall in original 1960's design).

NEXT MEETING: Feb. 15 (Friday) at 8am, Town Hall Meeting Room.

We watched the Board of Selectmen Regular Meeting from home Feb. 7...no vote 'til next week at an as yet unnamed special meeting time!

New Code Enforcement Officer hired conditional upon background checks;
Citizen of the Year recommendation of the SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE;

Then came the First Selectman's budget and School Budget

The Board of Education budget will be forwarded on to the Board of Finance with a non-binding recommendation to cut $200,000 by the Selectmen (2-1 vote).
Then the First Selectman's Budget was discussed and there are still a few areas needing more detail--after having no problems with the $43 million plus school budget, one member of the Board of Selectman objection to the amount ($15 per vet) spent on veterans' "gift bags."

KICKING OFF THE TOWN SIDE OF THE BUDGET PROCESS...Super Bowl competition?
The First Selectman's Budget proposal to the Board of Selectmen Feb. 5, 2008 at 7:30pm in the Town Hall Meeting Room...

5.48% increase: Weston school board approves budget
FORUM
by TERRY CASTELLANO
Jan 23, 2008

It took only one half hour into their monthly meeting for the Weston school board to approve the 2008-09 operating budget. The unanimously approved $43,975,601 budget is 5.48% higher than the current year’s budget. Since board members had discussed the budget in detail during three previous workshops, comments were limited to the overall budget and the related process...for full story, click here.

Weston school board gets first glimpse of budget draft
Weston FORUM
by TERRY CASTELLANO
Dec 19, 2007

After meetings at each school and three all-day sessions involving the school district’s administrative team, a draft of the proposed 2008-09 school operating budget was whittled down from an initial increase of slightly more than 8% over the current budget to an increase in the range of 6%.

The school district administrative team is comprised of all central office administrators, principals and assistant principals.

John Reed, interim superintendent, shared this news with the school board and the public at the Dec. 18 board meeting.

“This is a dynamic process,” Dr. Reed said after the meeting. “We will continue to work on the draft of the proposed budget before delivering the document to the board prior to their first workshop to be held Jan. 14.”

Dr. Reed said the percentage increase may also be challenged, but he believes good communication among school board members, other town boards and the public will bring about a cost-effective budget that still addresses the quality education the Weston community expects for its students.

According to Dr. Reed, there are no new positions in the budget draft. There is actually a modest reduction in both certified and noncertified staff.

Some of the areas driving the budget increase include special education out-of-district placement tuition and transportation costs; the need to address GASB-45, which covers health insurance benefit payments for retirees; and energy costs.

“For any organization or company, it is always a challenge to work a little bit smarter. We want the taxpayers to know that we get that,” Dr. Reed said after the meeting.

School budget workshops set
Weston FORUM
by TERRY CASTELLANO
Dec 19, 2007

The school board plans to review and discuss the 2008-09 proposed operating budget at three public workshops to be held in January. At the Dec. 17 school board meeting, Ellen Uzenoff, board chairman, said the workshops would be followed by the monthly school board meeting Jan. 22, at which time she hopes a budget will be passed. The first budget workshop is slated for Monday, Jan. 14, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the library’s community room. At this meeting, a general overview of the proposed budget will be presented.

On Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 7 to 9 p.m., in the town hall meeting room, the board will discuss the individual school proposed budgets as well as the proposed budgets for athletics and technology. This meeting will be followed by a meeting to be held Friday, Jan. 18, from 8 to 11 a.m. in the library’s community room. This third meeting will cover proposed budgets for plant and operations and transportation. In addition, the third meeting will cover any other topics pertinent to the actual proposed budget, as well as follow up responses to questions raised during the workshops which require answers prior to a board vote.

“I have invited the members of the boards of selectmen and finance to attend and am hoping to have some representation [from their boards] at the workshops,” Ms. Uzenoff said.