Village trustees trim budget proposals, set recreation fee and defer some purchases amid falling cable revenue

Village trustees met in a budget work session to review the mayor’s proposed spending plan and a slate of board adjustments, focusing on falling cable franchise revenue, recreation fees, police and fire equipment needs, and possible reductions to elected officials’ stipends.

The board and staff identified the cable franchise account as a shrinking revenue source and agreed to preserve a modest equipment appropriation for the village’s cable/access operation. Staff reported franchise receipts have fallen from earlier six-figure levels and that the franchise account historically funded access-station costs rather than general property taxes; trustees agreed to move about $1,000 into an equipment line to cover an air conditioner, a printer and minor computer needs for the access studio and to ask finance staff to track franchise receipts more conservatively going forward.

On parks and recreation, trustees agreed to a small participation fee for the summer playground program to avoid cancellation. The board set a $20 per-child resident fee and a $25 nonresident fee (the latter to include town participants), and directed staff to split revenue with the Town of Pomfret proportionally based on attendance at each playground. Trustees emphasized that any fee revenue should not be counted in the adopted budget as a firm revenue amount because enrollment and collection levels are uncertain this year.

Public-safety and equipment requests drew extended discussion. The police chief requested replacement patrol vehicles and additional supply funding for ammunition and ballistic vests; trustees authorized budgeting for one replacement vehicle immediately and left open the second vehicle pending further review, acknowledging each vehicle was estimated at about $70,000. The board restored roughly $8,000 in the police supplies line for equipment the chief described as “immediate needs.”

Fire department requests also remained a focus. The fire chief asked to restore more of a safety/equipment line that covers items from flashlights and gloves to harness/bail systems. Trustees were shown that a bail/escape harness system costs roughly $1,200 per unit; the chief said several items are seven years old and due for replacement before their 10-year service life ends. Trustees cut parts of the department’s original request earlier in the process but opted not to reduce the fire equipment line further at the meeting, saying the tax impact of additional small reductions would be minimal while risking equipment shortfalls.

Board compensation and executive allowances were discussed as symbolic reductions. Trustees debated lowering their own stipends and the mayor’s personnel allowance to demonstrate sacrifice; the group discussed reducing trustee stipends from the existing level to roughly $3,000 per trustee and setting the mayor’s personnel/stipend line near $9,000 for the coming fiscal year, with language that these figures would be re-evaluated next year.

Water and sewer rates and utility allocations also received attention. Staff presented model rates that would move water to about $7.60 per 1,000 gallons and a higher sewer figure; trustees agreed to soften the sewer increase and consider raising the sewer rate toward $8.00 rather than the larger proposed jump while also increasing the base fee, aiming to reduce the immediate rate shock for customers while improving utility fund sustainability.

Other revenue adjustments included raising the on-street parking revenue expectation (trustees agreed to set the budgeted figure closer to recent collections and to raise the anticipated amount to about $25,000) and trimming projected franchise receipts slightly to reflect a downward trend in cable subscriptions. Ambulance billing and the question of reinstating resident co-pays were discussed: staff reported higher collections after recent rate changes and trustees declined at this meeting to add a new resident co-pay line to the adopted revenue estimate, noting collection rates and insurance reimbursements make any estimate uncertain.

Trustees did not take formal roll-call votes at the session on ordinance or budget adoption; they made direction and line-item changes for staff to reflect in the next draft. The board set a public hearing on the budget and tax cap increase for Wednesday at 6 p.m., during which the board will accept public comments but not hold a back-and-forth discussion.

Why it matters: the board’s choices this budget year could affect municipal service levels (police, fire and recreation) and household bills via utility rates and user fees. Trustees said they intend further review of department requests, to pursue possible intermunicipal or shared-service options, and to continue searching for one-time revenues and operational savings rather than recurring tax increases.

Ending: Trustees directed staff to update the draft budget to reflect the changes discussed and scheduled the public hearing Wednesday at 6 p.m. to accept public comments on the proposed tax cap increase and the budget.