North Stonington — Budget season 2018-19 is well underway in town. 

Wednesday night the Board of Finance got its first look at the proposed 2018-19 general government and education budgets, presented by the Board of Selectman and Board of Education, respectively.

The proposed $5.9 million general government budget represents about a 7.5 percent decrease from the previous year, driven primarily by a $557,413 reduction in spending on debt redemption, as well as a $60,854 reduction in highway spending. The proposal also calls for $517,608 in capital spending and increasing operating costs overall by $11,610. 

The decline in money spent on debt redemption would be driven mainly by the town electing to make the minimum payment of $53,000 on the school modernization project, instead of a $500,000 payment as it did in the prior year. 

Meanwhile the proposed $13.7 million education budget represents a 6.61 percent increase over the previous year, and includes a hike spending on several items the school district elected to spend nearly no money on last year. These include such things as instructional supplies, library books and textbooks. 

If residents ultimately approve any kind of increase in the education budget, it would represent a departure from historical precedent. Last year’s budget calling for a zero percent increase initially was rejected at its first referendum, and the town has approved increasing the education budget at referendum by more than 1 percent on only three occasions since 2007. 

“We’re trying to be thoughtful to the taxpayer and also provide things that the town needs,” First Selectman Mike Urgo said. "We’re doing some creative things; you see a decrease in the highway department but investing in some important pieces in the town, such as an ambulance and a firetruck.” 

While the meeting Wednesday marked just the start of what will be an ongoing discussion, with members of the Board of Finance getting their first opportunity to look at and pose questions of the budgets, it also included optimism that residents will have the opportunity to vote on the budgets at referendum much earlier this year. 

“The goal of our board is to move forward regardless of what we hear from the state, and that’s not trying to be ignorant, that’s trying to say we need to take care of North Stonington,” Urgo said. “We can’t be in a situation like we were last year.” 

"I think it was done with the best of intentions, but we want to pass a budget in May or June,” he added. 

With the 2017-18 budget season, town officials waited until November to bring town and education budgets before residents for a vote, due to concerns with the state's budget issues. Ultimately the town approved a general government budget toward the end of November, while an education budget wasn’t approved until a second referendum in mid-December. 

However, this year members of the Board of Selectmen have suggested aiming for a referendum on the budgets about the end of May or early June. One schedule suggested a date of May 21 and another suggested June 4. 

Other highlights of the evening’s budget presentations included:

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[naviga:li]Due to a spending freeze during the 2017-18 budget, the school district spent nothing on replacing equipment, textbooks and library books last year. The 2018-19 budget calls for increases in spending by $51,866, $6,340 and $14,250 in those areas, respectively.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]The Board of Education suggested a $129,928 increase in spending on instructional supplies. Last year the school district spent only $2,000 in that area, again the byproduct of attempts to zero out the budget.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]The Board of Selectmen estimates a $304,339 decrease in revenue from the state Education Cost Sharing Grant, as well as a $59,841 reduction in state aid for town roads.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]General government electing to lease a firetruck, ambulance and two stretchers, instead of buying some of those items. The town already has the money to buy the ambulance and one of the stretchers, but this proposal would put that money back into revenue with hopes of taking advantage of lower leasing rates.[/naviga:li]

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Next up, the Board of Finance will continue to deliberate on the budgets and make suggestions to both the Board of Selectmen and Board of Education on how to improve them going forward.

c.clark@theday.com