Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Suffield Town Meeting moves $450,000 to education; Board of Finance authorized to prepare referendum materials
Summary
Voters at Suffields May 7, 2025 Town Meeting approved a $450,000 transfer from the towns CNRE fund to the Board of Education, raising the BOE budget to $42,025,928, and unanimously authorized the Board of Finance to print neutral explanatory texts if the budget is petitioned to referendum under Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 9-369b.
The Town Meeting of Suffield on May 7, 2025 approved a modification to the 2025–26 budget that moved $450,000 from the General Fund transfer to the Capital & Non-Recurring Fund (CNRE) into the Board of Education budget, increasing the BOEs proposed total to $42,025,928. The paper-ballot result on the amendment was 103 yes and 27 no.
The amendment motion, moved by resident Tom Frenaye, sought to "reduce the amount of money being transferred from the General Fund to the Capital & Non-Recurring Fund (CNRE) by $450,000 to $1,550,000 and [to] increase the Board of Education budget by $450,000 to $42,025,928," according to the motion text presented to the meeting. Moderator Ed McAnaney presided over the meeting after being elected moderator earlier in the session.
Earlier in the meeting, Town Clerk Michele Urch read the legal notice as published in the Hartford Courant and the moderator invited a set of officials to present the town budget, including Board of Finance Chair Eric Harrington, First Selectman Colin Moll, Superintendent of Schools Matthew Dunbar, Board of Education Chair Maureen Sattan and Business Manager Eric Remington. Resident Kathleen Dunai presented the primary motion to approve the Board of Finance report and the town budget recommendations prior to consideration of amendments.
After the paper-ballot vote on the budget amendment, the meeting approved a procedural motion, moved by Derek Donnelly and seconded by Don Miner, to waive paper balloting and use a show of hands for subsequent votes. The meeting then passed a separate motion, moved by Melissa Finnigan and seconded by Derek Donnelly, authorizing the Board of Finance to print and distribute explanatory texts about the budget "if the budget is petitioned to referendum." The motion specified that such texts may not advocate approval or disapproval and must conform to Connecticut General Statutes, Sec. 9-369b; that motion passed unanimously.
The meeting closed after a motion from Derek Donnelly, seconded by Ernie Begin, to adjourn the May 7 Town Budget Meeting; the motion passed unanimously. The session, held at Suffield Middle School, concluded at 8:40 p.m. and the minutes were signed and submitted by Town Clerk Michele Urch.
What happens next: the budget actions taken at this Town Meeting will determine the version of the budget that may be presented at referendum if a petition is filed; under the motion approved tonight, the Board of Finance may prepare neutral explanatory materials in advance of any referendum.
