Norwich — The new ad-hoc committee of City Council and Board of Education met for the first time Friday evening and started delving into the proposed 2020-21 budget that would call for a $7.5 million, 9.34% increase if fully funded.

The budget proposed by first-year Superintendent Kristen Stringfellow would end the two-year pattern of running deficits to run the school system. But in her budget presentation earlier this week, she and school board members acknowledged the increase would be too much for city taxpayers to handle and proposed a multi-year plan with lower increases to phase out deficit spending, as well as reducing the school district’s heavy reliance on grants to fund daily school operations. School board members on Tuesday expressed support for a budget with a possible 3% or 4% increase.

Stringfellow did not attend Friday’s meeting. Questions arose quickly over two new positions she already has created, a human resources director and a payroll manager, and whether city Human Resources staff could have handled those roles, especially after new Munis financial software was installed integrating the school district and city systems.

Alderman Joseph DeLucia asked if the two mid-management positions could be “unraveled” and possibly replaced by city Human Resources staff at lower salaries as a shared service. Alderwoman Stacy Gould agreed and argued that the city spent $675,000 on the new financial software to save money in the long run, not to hire more staff to manage the system.

Board of Education member Mark Kulos said the school district’s auditor recommended the human resources person and a payroll employee — already hired — to achieve greater efficiencies in handling HR issues. The school system recently discovered possible errors in the retirees’ insurance payments and eligibility that are being investigated by a special auditor, Kulos said. The two positions are expected to pay for themselves by eliminating overtime needed for administrative assistants taking on human resources duties, he said.

School board Chairwoman Heather Romanski said the school system has a vacancy for a school facilities manager. She asked if the city could take on that role. City Manager John Salomone said he has discussed the position with Stringfellow and has recommended she fund the position but not yet fill it, in case the position could be combined with a city position. Salomone cautioned that it could be complicated with different labor unions and pay levels between the two systems.

Committee members encouraged discussions between the city and school district on more possible shared services in the future.

DeLucia presented the board with 10 questions regarding the budget to be reviewed, including whether Stringfellow has considered an early retirement plan or encouraging the hire of new teachers at lower salary levels. DeLucia also asked how a new proposed transportation coordinator at an $85,000 salary and a new proposed assistant special education director, also budgeted at $85,000, would end up saving money.

The committee will meet again at 6:30 p.m. next Friday, before the school board is expected to vote on a final proposed budget on March 23.

c.bessette@theday.com