Groton proposed budget 5.2% higher

Groton - Town Manager Mark Oefinger released his budget proposal for the 2010-11 fiscal year this week, calling for $124.5 million in spending that represents a 5.2 percent increase over this year's budget.

But because revenues from the state and federal government are expected to decline, local taxpayers will have to shoulder more of the burden. Under Oefinger's initial budget proposal, property taxes would increase by 2.25 mills to 20.20, a 12.5 percent spike and a tax bill of $2,020 for every $100,000 in assessed property value.

"Frankly, I think there's need for some adult supervision up there in Hartford, with all the games they are playing with the budget," said Town Council Frank "Mick" O'Beirne during Tuesday night's Town Council meeting.

The town operations budget, which represents about 26 percent of the town's overall spending, increased 1.7 percent, to about $32.7 million. (NOTE: The previous sentence corrects an erroneous percentage in the original online version.) Oefinger attributed much of that increase to spikes in the town's insurance and retirement costs, which will increase in cost by 28 percent next year.

Oefinger's budget calls for the elimination of five-and-a-half full-time employees, four part-time employees and an additional $533,000 in salary cuts that still need to be determined, which accounts to about a dozen positions that need to be cut.

"I think it's needless to say this is going to be a very difficult budget season, particularly because of the number of positions that would need to be cut if you adopt the Town Manager's budget or something like it," Oefinger said.

The budget submitted by the City of Groton (the town is responsible for the city's highway budget and half its police budget) calls for $8.1 million in town money, an increase of more than 86 percent. The city is asking the town to pay for two costly highway projects, including close to $3 million to replace the retaining wall on Thames Street.

At a referendum in November, voters shot down a $10 million plan to rebuild crumbling Thames Street, a project city and town officials alike say is critically important.

The Board of Education budget, which makes up close to two-thirds of town spending, is currently set at $74 million, a 1.9 percent increase over this year's budget.

A public hearing on the budget will be held at the Groton Town Hall Annex on March 29 at 7 p.m. Then, the Town Council, which had asked Oefinger to bring it a budget that does not increase spending, will spend April reviewing and adjusting the Town Manager's budget.

After the Council approved its budget, it goes to the town's Representative Town Meeting, which can make further cuts or restore funding to the level in Oefinger's proposal.

m.collette@theday.com