Town Manager Offers Thoughts on Education Cuts

The 1-percent funding increase proposed by Interim-Superintendent Dr, Ernest Perlini, Tuesday, was well-received by Windsor Town Manager Peter Souza, who said Perlini's budget "was very cognizant of where we are right now in this economy."

"His budget is pretty much on target in terms of the community's willingness to pay," Souza continued, adding that the relatively small request request, which amounts to just over $600,000, "certainly helps us to find the right balance points [in the town budget process]."

Perlini's budget, which called for $4.7 million in cuts, came in well under the town council's initial estimate of a 5 percent increase in education funding, and the board of education's estimate of a 3 percent increase in funding.

"The budget is very conservative, but it gets full-day kindergarten implemented along with other academic goals," Souza said of Perlini's proposal.

While Perlini's lean request may be music to the ears of town employees charged mitigating rising costs on the road to the adoption of a balanced budget come May, there are still major questions yet to be answered.

The main question, Souza said, is whether or not Gov. Dannel Malloy will keep the funds awarded to municipalities level with the current fiscal year.

In addition to this, Souza is also faced with declining revenues in town.

"There has not been a lot of new development in town this year, and building permit revenues will be down," said Souza.

The town's interest earnings are also projected to come in on the low side.

Answers to the town budget's questions will become more clear in the coming weeks, specifically after the governor reveals planned budget adjustments when he delivers his State of the State address on February 8.