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Willington selectmen unanimously approve $70,000 in general-government cuts to cover insurance shortfall
Summary
Facing a roughly $30,000 employee-insurance miscalculation, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to cut $70,000 from general-government accounts across multiple departments; the board recorded department-specific reductions and asked staff to monitor in-year needs.
The Willington Board of Selectmen voted unanimously on July 8 to reduce the general-government budget by $70,000 to address a discovered insurance shortfall and other pressures in town operations.
First Selectman Mike McCoo moved the measure and recited specific line-item reductions in the motion. McCoo said the board had discovered a miscalculation that left about $30,000 short of what the town must pay for employee insurance, and that the board needed offsets to avoid under-budgeting an obligated expense.
McCoo recited the reductions included in the motion: first selectman (department 011) reduced by $3,000; accounting services (department 130) reduced by $12,000; assessor (131) reduced by $2,500; revenue collector (137) reduced by $7,000; planning and zoning (171) reduced by $15,000; fire protection (232) reduced by $3,000; Willington Fire Department No. 1 (232) reduced by $2,500; Wellington Hill Fire Department (232) reduced by $2,500; transfer station (351) reduced by $7,500; dog fund (511) reduced by $15,000. McCoo said the totals equal a $70,000 reduction.
Sherry, the town finance manager, confirmed some line items still require reconciliation as fiscal-year entries and rebates are apportioned across departments; she said some rebate entries (for heating oil) will be split among senior-center, public works and the town office to reflect correct usage.
Chief Moore of Willington Fire Department No. 1 and other selectmen noted the reductions could tighten operations. Chief Moore said maintenance and equipment failures can create unplanned expense spikes—he cited a recent $3,000 valve failure—and expressed concern about funding for AED devices the department has already ordered. McCoo said the board would look at closing out last fiscal-year balances and, if necessary, seek adjustments during the year.
McCoo moved the reductions as a single motion that listed each department and amount for the record; the motion was seconded and then approved in a roll-call vote: Mike McCoo yes; Andy Marco yes; Ralph Tillis yes. The motion passed unanimously. The board instructed staff to monitor department needs and return to the board if midyear adjustments are required.
