#MiddleburyCT #Budget #Region15
By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
Another budget season has rolled around as first selectmen and school superintendents present their proposed 2023-2024 budgets. Here in Middlebury, First Selectman Ed St. John presented a proposed 2023-2024 town budget to the Board of Finance at its February 6 meeting.
Regional School District Superintendent Joshua Smith will present his proposed 2023-2024 budget to the Board of Education Monday, February 27, at the 7:30 p.m. Board of Education (BOE) meeting in the Pomperaug High School Media Center.
In addition to its two regular March meetings, on March 13 and 27, the BOE will have two budget workshops, one on Monday, March 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the PHS Media Center to focus on the Elementary, Middle School, and Curriculum Budgets and one on Monday, March 22, also at 6:30 p.m. in the PHS Media Center, to focus on the Region 15 Technology, Student Services, PHS, and Athletics Budgets.
The BOE has set a public hearing and meeting with the Middlebury and Southbury Boards of Finance for Monday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m. in the PHS Media Center. The Board of Education will adopt a budget at its Monday, April 3, meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the PHS Media Center.
Regular BOE meetings are live streamed and can be watched by going to region15.org, Board of Education, Agendas/Minutes/Presentations. Our experience is the audio quality may not be the best, but Middlebury BOE member Richard Spierto said closed captioning can be turned on to help with the audio.
The proposed 2023-2024 town budget presented by St. John is $12.7 million. It is $413,213 higher than the 2022-2023 approved budget of $12.3 million, for a 3.37% increase. When he presented the proposed budget to the Board of Finance, St. John mentioned there were 4 to 5.5 percent increases in some categories, but fortunately there also were substantial decreases. He expressed concern about rising electric, fuel and waste removal costs, noting the latter was becoming a big ticket item. He said the town does have costs locked in on some of these items.
Taxpayers in Middlebury pay more than twice the amount of the town budget to support Region 15. With a current budget of $12.3 million, Middlebury taxpayers are paying an additional $26.2 million to Region 15.
The proposed budget St. John presented will be reviewed and adjusted by the Board of Finance. It has to prepare its proposed budget by March 15, so there will be a special joint meeting of the Board of Finance and Board of Selectmen Thursday, March 16, to discuss its proposal. On Wednesday, April 5, the Board of Finance will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. in the Larkin Room at the Middlebury Public Library and will meet following the hearing. On May 3, the town budget will be voted on, along with the Region 15 budget, and immediately afterwards the Board of Finance will meet to set the mil rate.
