Board of Finance Hears More Budget Plans

The Suffield Board of Finance held a budget meeting on Monday night to continue the budget process for the town. The board heard presentations from the town’s medical insurance consultant, the Suffield Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA), The Advisory Commission on Capital Expenditures (ACCE) and the Board of Education.

The Board of Education presented a budget totaling $30.96 million, an overall increase of 1.83 percent ($556,000) from the previous year. Because of a one-time federal grant, the impact of the increase on the town will be only 0.66 percent ($200,000).

Interim Superintendent of Schools Mary Greenlaw-Dixon said the grant is mainly being used to offset salary increases.

Board of Education budget subcommittee Chairman Bob Eccles said enrollment has declined slightly in the town’s schools and the equivalent of 3 and one half full time employees will be removed from the school system. Enrollment is down a total of only 12 students but the reduction comes from the elementary, intermediate and middle schools, which have 23 fewer students than last year. The high school saw an increase of 11 students this year.

“This is essentially, for the most part, a no-change budget for the district,” Eccles said.

The finance board appreciatively received the Board of Education’s budget for the school system, speaking positively of its clarity and detail.

“I think you did a really nice job presenting this,” said board member Dennis Kreps.

The Board of Finance did note that the Board of Education did not sign the memorandum of understanding passed between those two boards and the Board of Finance, which aims to keep budgets low to offset the increased cost that would result from possible town bonding projects.

More information was requested from the WPCA as a switch from yearly billing to quarterly billing at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution created a $165,000 discrepancy in the WPCA budget.

Business Administrator Julie Nigro said she would have an updated and complete budget reflecting the change at the Board of Finance’s next meeting.

The ACCE budget was received well by the board, with a few alterations. It was suggested that computer equipment be moved from the ACCE budget to individual department’s operating budgets. There was debate over how to approach the new water pump for the new vocational agricultural building at Suffield High School, which would increase the very low water pressure at the high school as well.

“A typical good job, thank you,” said Board of Finance Chairman Justin Donnelly to ACCE chairman Craig Horrigan at the end of the presentation.

Find more details about the ACCE budget here.

The town’s medical insurance was debated as the town is switching from a preferred provider organization (PPO) plan to a health savings account (HSA) plan. Board member Brian Kost noted that, based on his projections, the money spent on health care is one of the biggest single expenditures in the town budget.

Consultant Bob Lindberg and Kost discussed a number of issues related to health care costs. Lindberg said he would come back to the board with more information.