Budget approved despite BOS divisions

KENT — Taxpayers overwhelmingly approved the municipal and education budgets at a 90-minute annual town meeting on Friday, May 15.

At the beginning of the meeting, Board of Education Chairman Karen Garrity announced that the school budget had been reduced by $10,000 due to ongoing negotiations with the school’s health-insurance provider, bringing the spending plan total to $6,210,848.

Then First Selectman Ruth Epstein announced that the Board of Selectmen’s budget had been reduced because of a decrease in insurance quotes. This brought the total town budget to $10,555,895, a $3,211 increase from this year’s budget.

Selectman Vince LaFontan read a prepared statement explaining why the budget should not be approved.

“I will clearly say there was a poor budget process,� LaFontain said. “There were no attempts to bid annual contracts or to carefully review this year’s expenses to see if there were any lines that could be reduced. There were no real attempts to see how much less some town departments were bringing in this year.�

He said the budget process was all done with “smoke and mirrors� and he criticized the rest of the Board of Selectmen for cutting the town’s resident state trooper program. By eliminating the program, the town saved $100,260.

“When the board was asked [by the Board of Finance] to reduce its budget, instead of reviewing the complete budget to consider areas for reducing, it eliminated an easy target: our troubled resident trooper program,� LaFontan said. “Here’s a newsflash: Local community hit by a rash of business burglaries. Board of Selectmen reacts by cutting police services. I have to admit that was a spectacular political move, throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The board should not be cutting public safety.�

First Selectman Epstein objected to LaFontan’s statement.

“We worked very hard on this budget and we spent hours and hours going through every single department line,� she said. Of the resident trooper program, she said, “I don’t think it was a rash decision. We had several meetings where people said that it was time to take another look at the program. We worked darn hard on this budget.�

Scott Harvey, who is a member of the Board of Education and a state trooper, spoke in favor of keeping the resident trooper program.

“The information the resident trooper gets on residents when it comes to solving crimes is very much shared, but you don’t get that kind of sharing when you have local patrols,� Harvey said. “Kent has three prep schools and it’s important to keep them protected. The program provides adults and children with a familiar face to discuss their concerns.�

Resident Catherine Bachrach did not say whether she was for or against the budget, but she told the audience that she hopes the selectmen look into forming a community crime watch.

The town meeting approved a motion to hold the budget vote by paper ballot.

After 30 minutes, Town Clerk Darlene Brady announced the budget had been approved by a vote of 112 to 28.

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