Norwich – Two months into his tenure as acting city manager, John Bilda will present his 2015-16 budget proposal to the City Council today that is expected to call for a 1 percent increase in the school budget and possible ways to ease the fire tax burden in the central city paid fire district.

Bilda was named acting city manager Feb. 3 after former City Manager Alan Bergren resigned in what city officials called a mutual decision by him and the City Council.

Like his predecessors in past years, Bilda has revealed few details of his budget proposal in advance of the first public presentation today at the 7:30 p.m. City Council meeting at City Hall.

But in February, the Board of Education learned that Bilda was prepared to include a 1 percent increase to the current $71.6 million budget. Bilda confirmed the 1 percent figure, but did not comment further.

School administrators, however, initially proposed a 5 percent increase, and the Board of Education added three new positions in its annual effort to restore middle school world languages and instrumental music – eliminated several years ago in budget cuts.

On March 10, the school board approved a budget request submitted to Bilda totaling $75.8 million, a 6 percent increase compared to the current budget.

Superintendent Abby Dolliver has said a 1 percent budget increase would result in a $3.5 million cut in the requested budget and would “decimate all the work we have done” in school improvement programs.

The public school budget also includes tuition paid to Norwich Free Academy as Norwich’s designated high school and other magnet high schools in the region. NFA tuition will increase by 2.5 percent in the coming year, and the public school budget also covers another $2 million in support staff for Norwich special education students enrolled in NFA special education programs.

School board member Jesshua Ballaro last month suggested that the school board present the NFA budget as a separate expense to the City Council, rather than as part of the public school budget, since the Board of Education has no control over the tuition bill. The Norwich board also is embroiled in an as-yet unresolved dispute with NFA officials over a proposed contract governing the designated high school arrangement.

On the city government side of the budget, which totals $54.8 million, Bilda and city Comptroller Josh Pothier said the budget will include initial efforts to ease the fire tax burden on central city taxpayers, but would not discuss details.

This winter, the Charter Revision Commission rejected a suggestion that it propose eliminating the city’s controversial dual fire tax system in which property owners in the City Consolidated District (CCD) must pay for the paid fire department, while property owners in the surrounding five volunteer districts pay a much lower fire tax to cover only volunteer firefighter pensions and worker’s compensation coverage.

This year, all taxpayers pay the general property tax of 38.55 mills, and CCD property owners pay an additional 7.38 mills and volunteer district property owners pay a 0.49 mill fire tax.

In rejecting any change to the tax structure, the charter commission recommended city administrators find ways to ease the burden on CCD taxpayers through the annual budget process.

“We took that under advisement,” Pothier said Wednesday.

During his brief tenure as acting city manager, Bilda has been examining city department structures, possible consolidations and possible shared duties among city employees. He said the proposed budget might reflect the beginnings of those efforts, but not wholesale proposed changes to city government departments.

The recreation director position, last funded at $79,800, has been vacant since November 2013, when former director C. Roger Moss was fired for violation of several city policies. Bergren and Bilda both left the position unfilled saying the position and oversight of the $558,000 department is being examined for possible consolidation.

Currently, the recreation department is being overseen by Gary Evans, supervisor of the city’s community development office, which oversees the federal community development block grant program.

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday

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Norwich 2015-16 budget schedule. All meetings in Council Chambers, City Hall.

Monday, April 6, 7:30 p.m.: Acting City Manager John Bilda presents proposed budget to City Council.

Tuesday, April 7, starting at 6:30 p.m., City Council department budget meetings: Finance/treasurer/assessor, city manager/mayor/recreation, city clerk/elections, Planning and Neighborhood Services, Norwich Public Utilities.

Wednesday, April 8, starting at 6:30 p.m., City Coucil department budget meetings: Police, Emergency Management, Norwich Fire Department, Laurel Hill, Occum, Taftville, East Great Plain and Yantic volunteer fire departments.

Thursday, April 9, starting at 6:30 p.m.: Human Services, Otis Library, Public Works, Norwich Public Schools.

Monday, April 13, 6:30 p.m. City Council budget public hearing.

Monday, May 4, 7:30 p.m.; City Council adoption of preliminary budget.

Monday, May 11, 6:30 p.m.: City Council budget public hearing.

Monday, June 1, 7:30 p.m., tentative date for City Council final budget adoption.