The Waterford Board of Finance held two afternoon virtual meetings via Zoom on April 7 and 9 to finish up its detailed review of the town’s 2020-21 fiscal year budget.

During the review of Capital and Non-Recurring Expenditure Fund budgets on the recommendation of the First Selectman and the Superintendent of Schools, the finance board approved cuts to three projects: the Town Hall parking lot lights, bathroom upgrades and auditorium renovations.

This left $25,000 to make repairs to the Town Hall bathroom. There was also a reduction of the Fleet Management Program of $100,000 to $900,000. The total cut for the Capital Budget was $313,240.

The total capital budget was $2,216,680. Requested funding includes pure array storage for Information Technology ($74,000); police body cameras ($98,250); police car infrared cameras ($14,350); milling and paving on Bloomingdale Road South ($134,080); the removal of an underground fuel storage tank at Cohanzie Fire Station ($299,000); ADA improvements at Youth and Family Services and the police department ($80,700); the replacement of a pump at the evergreen sewer pump station ($375,000); and sewer in-line wastewater solids grinder pumps ($85,000).

Five projects proposed in the CNR budget were reduced to zero: the townwide camera system for the police department ($97,200), the bus lot office ($75,000), school security upgrades ($50,000); turf field repair at Waterford High School ($75,000) and the end-of-life replacement of an IT Learning Board ($200,000)

The library HVAC upgrade fund was reduced by $50,000 to $200,000. Projects in the CNR that were funded at the requested level were the revaluation fund ($150,000); fiber cable upgrades between Town Hall and the high school ($14,000); upgrades to the fire service hydraulic lift equipment at all fire houses ($100,000); the mobile and portable radio replacement program ($273,810); improvements to the Waterford Beach Park bathrooms and ADA compliance ($150,000); redesign and reconstruction of Braman Road ($263,470); rehabilitation of the Old Norwich Road sewer pump station ($100,000); sidewalks in Jordan Village ($100,000, to fully fund a state grant project); and planning for upgrades to the Civic Triangle ($50,000, a $100,000 reduction).

The final transfer to CNR total was $1,401,280. This resulted in a total capital and CNR proposed investment of $3,617,960. Adding in the previously approve debt service of $7,628,790 yields a total of $11,246,750. This is a $901,908 or 7.42% reduction from the current fiscal year.

The Waterford finance director and assessor reviewed anticipated revenues and the grand list ist with the finance board at this meeting as well. The revenue from sources other than taxes is anticipated to be $4,043,643 and the grand list mill is calculated to be $3,302,556.90. The tax collector also estimates a 99.1% collection rate despite the recent economic down turn.

The final budget approval by the finance board was at 3 p.m. Tuesday; results were not available at the time of printing. The budget was posted on the town’s website, and the public was invited to comment.

Any public comment was reviewed by the finance board at a public hearing before the final budget approval. The finance board made further reductions to the budget so that the anticipated mill rate would be the same as in the current fiscal year.

The budget has been forwarded to the Representative Town Meeting for final approval during a virtual meeting over a number of days in May.

John W. “Bill” Sheehan is a member of the Waterford Board of Finance.