For many people new to the Wilton budget process, there’s a learning curve about how the school and town budgets get set. Even for residents who have lived here for a handful of years, who may not have paid much attention, or even voted, things always just got done, budgets got passed, and life went on.
But this year is different, as the discussion about how the town will set its budget has turned to talk of leaner times, imminent cuts and voter inaction.
Some people are worried about cuts rumored to be coming to the Board of Education budget. We published Bd. of Ed. chair Bruce Likly‘s letter about just that. From what he writes, the clock is ticking, counting down to possible cuts that he and others have said will hurt the Wilton Schools significantly.
One of the most important events on the town’s budget calendar is the education budget hearing on March 28. That’s when the Board of Finance hopes to hear from Wilton residents with their questions and opinions about how much the town should spend on the schools. What happens and what residents have to say at that meeting will be critical for whether or not the Board of Finance will let the Bd. of Ed.’s recommended budget stand at $80,972,640. The Board of Finance has made it known that unless they hear otherwise from residents, they will make cuts.
Many people think the Town Vote on May 3 is when they need to tell the town’s leaders what they want to see in the town budget. But if that’s the first time you speak up, it’s too late. But the time the budget gets to the Town Vote, the only thing that can happen is it either passes as is, or it gets cut further. It cannot be increased—there is no mechanism to increase the budget at that point, only decrease it. Anyone who wants to see the education budget protected needs to speak up—now.
We’ve created a countdown clock that we’ve posted on GMW‘s front page. It’s counting down to the March 28 meeting. We urge people, no matter how they feel about the budget, to attend that meeting to have your voices be heard.
Likly released another message about the budget, just yesterday:
“Nothing is more important right now than convincing the Board of Finance about the negative implications of any cuts to the proposed 2016-17 operating budget for the Wilton Public Schools. Our proposed school budget includes a modest 1.27 percent increase in spending which, considering a contractually-mandated 3 percent increase in teacher salaries, means a bare-bones spending plan.
“The Board of Finance will consider the Education budget at a public hearing on Monday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Middlebrook Auditorium. Several members of the finance board have already stated their inclination to reduce our budget. The only way we can prevent this is for members of the public to attend the hearing and SPEAK UP!!!!
“We are all well aware that voter apathy is a major problem in our town. Low voter turnout – especially among parents of school age children – is the reason the Miller-Driscoll building project passed by a mere 27 votes, and why last year’s school budget was voted down. We have got to do better.”