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Canton officials wrangle with challenging budget cycle

Updated Friday, April 19


Next up in the budget process:

• The budget Public Hearing will take place on Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 6 pm (NEW DATE!) at the Canton Community Center, Room F.


• The Budget referendum

At the May 7 referendum, electors can vote yes or no on a final budget plan, which could, potentially, be adjusted the evening of April 23.  The referendum takes place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7 in the Canton Community Center.


By John Fitts

Staff Writer


CANTON – While municipal budgeting is never easy, the town has dealt with particularly acute challenges in preparing its 2024-25 spending plan. 


Most notable was the 5-year property revaluation that resulted in a 47 % increase in residential real estate values, officials said. Commercial and personal property values also rose – 21 % and 5.58 % respectively. At the same time, vehicle values decreased 5.55 %. 


The combination of those factors further shifts more of the tax burden to those local homeowners and even a flat budget would result in a more than $500 tax increase for the median homeowner, according to town officials. 


The proposed fiscal year 2024-25 budget is $49,526,294, a 5.94 percent increase in spending over the 2023-24 approved budget of $46,7474,934. 


Approximately 99 percent of increases involve maintaining existing town services, according to officials, who also note that some large capital expenditures were taken out of the spending package and will now be proposed as bonding projects. 


The Board of Selectmen operating budget is proposed at $12,504,271, a 5.92 percent increase in spending. 


There are a few new initiatives in the Board of Selectmen proposal, included half-a year’s salary to bring on an additional police officer in January of 2025 and the return of an operator/maintainer position for the Public Works Department. 

In his message to residents in the annual budget mailer, First Selectmen Kevin Witkos said the Board of Selectmen carefully reviewed the budget line by line, embracing “efficiency and consolidation wherever and whenever possible.” 


“Town of Canton staffing levels are minimally maintained while providing the best customer service possible. Many of you have asked for increased police presence and better road maintenance,” Witkos wrote. 


The Board of Education budget proposal is $33,447,742, an increase of 5.36 percent. 

Special Education, Health & Benefits, and Contractual Salaries had major impacts on the education budget, which also seeks to keep a high standard of education, according to officials. 


“This budget reflects our unwavering committeemen to providing top-notch education for all, regardless of background or circumstance,” Board of Education Chairman Lou Daniels wrote in the town’s budget mailer. “It prioritizes investments in our dedicated educators, recognizing their pivotal role in shaping students’ lives. By empowering them with training, resources and fair compensation, we aim to cultivate an environment where every student can excel.” 


The Capital Improvement Budget is proposed at $1,208,416, a 2.88-percent increase in spending. 


The Board of Finance budget, much of which is debt service, is proposed at $2,365,865, a $344,286 or 17.03 percent increase from the current budget. 


In addition to rising expenses, the town is also dealing with other budget factors, such as a

$160,000 cut in the Education Cost Sharing revenues from the state of Connecticut, a move officials say is largely based on a sharp rise in the median household income over the past two decades. 


Tax Increase and revaluation phase-in proposal 

Of the $49,526,294 proposed budget, approximately 86.1 percent of it, or $42,672,939, would be funded from local taxes. 


Property is assessed at 70 percent of its market value based on the town’s mill rate. A mill is $1 of property tax per $1,000 of assessed value. As the town notes, homeowners can multiply the assessed value of a home by the mill rate and divide by 1,000. 


With a revaluation, property values can shift, and the town can adjust the mill rate to compensate. 


For examples, the town has used the owner of “median” home that has a market value of $310,418 and an assessed value of $217,293.


Under a four-year phase in, the mill rate would be 34.85 for 2024-25 and that homeowner would pay $7,573 in taxes, an increase of $641.


If the revaluation were implemented, that home would have an assessed value of $281,260. In that case, the mill rate would go from 35.37 to 28.50 for 2024-25, but due to the increase in value, that median homeowner would pay $8,016 in taxes, an increase of $1,084 over current taxes.  


The phase-in approach was recently endorsed by the Board of Finance and the Board of Selectmen and approved at town meeting April 18.

The town presented some new examples that evening and noted that the phase-in savings would be offset to some degree by motor vehicle taxes. Additionally, those residents whose residential property was assessed at a growth rate of less than 37.56 percent would pay more over the four years due to the phase in. See more about that meeting here.


Controversy 

The budget, as proposed, did come with some controversy. 

Before getting to the final numbers, the Board of Finance on March 25 directed the Board of Selectmen to cut $60,000 from its proposed budget and the Board of Education to cut $150,000. At that meeting, the Board of Finance added $325,000 for the town’s fund balance (or reserves) as members felt the amount in that account was, in light of some potential emergency expenses, too close to the minimum that should be retained, which is about 16.6 percent of the town budget – or enough to operate the town for 2 months. That becomes important when the town seeks bonding and for other initiatives. 


At that March 25 meeting, Board of Finance member Tom Blatchley advocated much deeper cuts, suggesting at one point that school administration could be an area to look at. 

“These budgets just keep ballooning and there just doesn’t seem to be any sense of fiscal responsibility to monitor what’s going on or even to renegotiate these contracts,” he said. “I don’t know how the taxpayers are going to sustain these increases and I’d love to hear other members of this board explain to me, based on the numbers that we have before us, how the taxpayers can sustain it.”


At a subsequent Board of Selectmen meeting, which did take place prior to the detailed discussions on a phase-in approach, Witkos accused the Board of Finance of not doing its job with a budget that included large increases in taxes. He also said the Board of Selectmen should have only borne one third of the cuts. 

“First of all, I should say I’m not pinning one budget against another budget because it’s all going out to the taxpayers,” he said. “But if we’re looking at our budget specifically. Everything that we do within our budget impacts everybody in the town. We are one third the size of the Board of Education budget… . Whatever cut or reduction that is seen from the Board of Education, we should be one third of that if you’re comparing apples to apples.”


At the March 27 Board of Selectmen meeting, as selectmen struggled with where to trim, Witkos said it was nothing compared what could come if residents vote down the spending plan. 

“I think if we present a budget to the voters after we’ve made these cuts and they vote the budget down again, we’re really looking at draconian cuts,” he said. 


At an April 3 Board of Finance in which the majority of its members endorsed the phase-in approach, Blatchley disagreed that the revaluation should “stand on its own” and again asserted that the budgets are artificially high. He called the phase-in proposal and bonding insults to taxpayers. 

“What we’re not looking at is cuts and reducing the spending. So, it is a band-aid effect in my opinion, and I just don’t think it will be approved by the taxpayers. I don’t think it should be approved by the taxpayers. I think it’s just overspending – again – year over year. And I would again respectfully request that the board consider looking at ways to reduce the budget to help our taxpayers. We can and will maintain the services. We hear the same arguments from both sides about, you know, the town’s going to fall apart. Trust me, it’s not going to if we make cuts and further cuts are in order and should be expected from both the town and the Board of Education.”


Board of Finance member Brian Miller said that the phase in is a “no brainer” that allows residents to carry smaller increases throughout the period, saving them money over time, not just in the first year. 

He also strongly disagreed with Blatchley about the ability to achieve deep cuts and maintain services, calling that a pipe dream.  

“You keep referring to major cuts that can be made without cutting town services. I think that’s a pipe dream,” Miller said. “At some point, as Lou Daniels said, we’re going to be cutting people; we’re going to be cutting teachers. There’s not this magic pocket of inflated budgets somewhere in the budget for which you have not pointed out a single item that you’ve identified as being as being an inflated item. You just keep referring to I believe there [are] cuts to be made. Beliefs are one thing and actually working through a budget and finding that information is another. And, while, yes, we could maybe cut a little bit more money, last meeting you were talking about cutting a million dollars from the Board of Education. That was your proposal in percentage. And that is impossible to accomplish without cutting services to this town. Same for the Board of Selectmen. The $500,000 cut or more that you were suggesting is impossible to accomplish without cutting services to this town.”


On April 3, Kenney acknowledged the budget challenges and the worry of how the budget would be received. She noted that the Board of Finance did have the ability to make further adjustments at the April 23 Annual Budget meeting. She advocated working to get the word out and for people to attend that meeting and raised the possibility of some adjustments if that’s what people call for. 

“I’d rather hear from residents before we make further cuts,” Kenney said. “I think we need to know what the townspeople think. If we have a packed room of people who are saying these expenses are too high and we would rather see our services cut than pay this much, then that very night, we can respond and make further cuts to Board of Education and Board of Selectmen budgets and that will be what goes to referendum.”


Next steps

The town will hold its annual budget meeting at 6 p.m. April 25, also at the Community Center. Final budget numbers will be adopted that evening and they could be different than what is now proposed. 


The budget referendum will take place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7 in the Canton Community Center. The town’s charter states that a turnout of less than 10 percent results in automatic passage of the budget. Voters have never met that threshold since the charter was changed to require an automatic budget referendum beginning in 2020 (Due to the pandemic the change was implemented in 2021). 

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Valley Happenings

UPDATED:

Fighting Cancer Pasta Dinner:

Benefit for Avon Volunteer Fire Department

Deputy Chief Dave Theriault

Sunday, February 23, 2025, 3:00-7:00 p.m. 

Farmington Polo Club, 162 Town Farm Road, Farmington

 

AVFD Deputy Chief of Administration Dave Theriault is facing a tough battle against Stage 4 cancer. The AVFD, along with Tunxis Hose Co. No. 1 and the Farmington Fire Department, is holding a pasta dinner to help raise money for Chief Theriault’s medical expenses. Cheese and crackers from 3:00-4:00 p.m., buffet from 4:00-6:00 p.m., and coffee and dessert from 6:00-7:00 p.m. In addition to delicious food, drinks, and camaraderie, the event will feature dozens of raffle prizes. Event tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for seniors and children under 10 years old. They can be purchased at the door or online at www.HometownFoundation.org Contributions can be made via Venmo @supportDave or by mail to the AVFD at 25 Darling Drive, Avon, CT 06001. 

Canton Community Health Fund Applications

Canton Community Health Fund, Inc. Opens 2025 Application Season, on March 1, 2025, for Canton Community Partner Grants & Canton Scholars Pursuing Careers in Healthcare or Public Safety Canton Community Health Fund, Inc. (CCHF), opens its grant and scholarship application season March 1. CCHF encourages State of CT certified non-profits serving the Canton community to apply for Community Partner grants. In addition, graduating high school seniors seeking higher education in healthcare or public safety are invited to apply for either a Dr. Diters Legacy Scholarship or a Pay It Forward Scholarship. Applications and informative Fact Sheets are available online at www.cantoncommunityhealthfund.org.  Community Partner Grant and Scholarship awards will be announced in June/2025.

 

Avon Library events

AVON –The following events are scheduled at Avon Free Public Library. The library is at Avon Library, 281 Country Club Road, Avon. All programs are in person except where noted. For more information on adult programs, contact Adult Services Reference Desk via avonref@avonctlibrary.info 860-673-9712 x 7203

• Antique Map Collecting 101, Saturday, Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. Registration is required: https://www.avonctlibrary.info/event/antique-map-collecting/

• Morning Book Club. Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 10:30 a.m., The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose, Registration is required: https://www.avonctlibrary.info/events/tag/morning-book-club/

• Meditation for Balance and Inner Contentment. (Virtual Event) Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 pm.

• Eastern Coyotes in Connecticut (Virtual Event) Thursday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m.

• Fashion and the First Lady (Virtual Event). Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m.

• Hoop Skirts to Flappers: Eighty Years of Connecticut Fashion. Monday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.

• The Golden Age of Hollywood. (Virtual Event) Tuesday, March 4 at 2 pm.

 

Simsbury Lions Club

The Simsbury Lions Club is looking for people interested in volunteering and contributing to better our town. Our motto is “We serve,” and we do so by volunteering at local events and donating our proceeds to serving interests in our community.

If interested, please feel free to contact Sandy Kremer at Tprkremer@gmail.com or Philip Painchaud at painchaudp@gmail.com.”

 

Winter sowing workshop

The Farmington Land trust is hosting a winter sowing workshop focused on raising native plants. Make your own up-cycled greenhouse from a milk jug and prep some beneficial native plants for the coming growing season. Sunday, Feb 2 from 11a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Farmington Senior Center. RSVP here: https://www.farmingtonlandtrust.org/event-details/winter-sowing-seminar-native-seed-planting

 

Wild Flowers from Spring to Fall

CANTON – The Cherry Brook Garden Club is hosting a lecture on “Following Our Wild Flowers from Spring to Fall” on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 11 a.m. at the Canton Community Center, lower level, 40 Dyer Avenue. Steve Messier, Lichenologist and former Science teacher at Canton High School will discuss the topic. The lecture is open to the public. There is a $5 guest fee for non-members. Email questions to cherrybrookgardenclub@gmail.com.

 

‘Five Wishes’ at McLean

SIMSBURY – Join Kevin Baran, M.D., medical director, and the McLean Hospice Team for a special “McLean & Me Educational Series” presentation to learn how to talk about and record your wishes for care through the end of life, so those wishes can be understood and respected. The presentation will be held at McLean’s Garmany Performing Arts Center, 50 Sarah Lane, Simsbury, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 6 p.m. The presentation is free but an RSVP by Feb. 4 is required as seating is limited. A light dinner will be provided.

To register, visit McLeanCare.org/Events, email Margaret.Clark@McLeanCare.org, or call 860-658-3718.

 

‘Art Throb!’ Exhibit

Gallery on the Green presents “Art Throb!” Exhibit plus a Solo Exhibit by Kathi Packer Friday, Feb. 14 through Saturday, March 15. An opening reception is on Saturday, Feb. 15 from 6-8 p.m. and will include refreshments. The show and reception are free.

“Art Throb!” is a heartfelt Valentine’s Day celebration presented by the membership of Canton Artists’ Guild. The artists use a wide range of media including painting, prints, drawing, photography, sculpture, ceramics and mixed media to represent the emotional intensity, joy and complexity of love.

In the upstairs Gallery, Kathi Packer has a solo show, “Another Tale.”  Packer notes that a friend’s casual invitation to go on safari in 2008 substantially changed the direction of her artistic journey.The gallery is located near the intersection of Dowd Avenue and Route 44 at 5 Canton Green Road in Canton. Hours are Friday – Sunday, 1-5 pm. The main floor gallery is handicapped accessible.

Website: http://www.galleryonthegreen.org; Phone:  860-693-4102

 

TABLESCAPES fundraiser returns to benefit the new

Avon History Museum

AVON – The Avon Historical Society invites the public to its sixth TABLESCAPES event showcasing up to 30 creative and original table settings on Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15 at the historic North House, 1 Nod Road, Avon.

This event will feature themed table settings from local professional designers, florists, businesses, individuals, artists and others featuring fresh floral arrangements, centerpieces and accessories. Proceeds will benefit the installation of professionally curated exhibits in the new Avon History Museum scheduled to open on Friday, July 4, 2025.

Back by popular demand will be a “Table and Barware Tag Sale” on both days. Admission to TABLESCAPES includes the tag sale. Tickets are $20 each pre-sale and at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at www.avonhistoricalsociety.org or by calling Mary Harrop at 860-670-3225 before March 8.

Those interested in sponsorship opportunities can also call Harrop.

 

Alzheimer’s Support Group

FARMINGTON – Hearts, Hugs & Hope: An Alzheimer’s Support Group takes place Feb. 20, 2025, 6 p.m. at Farmington Station Assisted Living and Memory Care Community, 111 Scott Swamp Road, Farmington. Dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia isn’t easy, so it is helpful to share your concerns and personal experiences with others who completely understand what you’re going through. You will also learn about proven strategies to help you better care for your family member. This group is being offered both in person and via Zoom on the third Thursday of each month. If you plan to attend, contact Director of Compass Programming Katherine Jedynasty at kjedynasty@farmingtonslr.com.

 

Used book sale

AVON - A huge book sale will be held Feb. 28 and March 1 in St. Ann’s Church Hall, 289 Arch Road at Route 167.  Hours are Friday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. ($5 adult admission) and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (no admission fee).

Thousands of books will be organized in separate sections, including Fiction, History, Biography, Politics, Children, Music, Cooking, Sports, Art, Vintage, and more!  A large selection of Children’s books will be available.  Fiction books will be divided by hardcover, paperback, and trade paperback and sorted alphabetically by author.  DVDs, CDs, books on CDs, Vinyl records, and puzzles will be available, also.  Most books will be $3 or less with vintage and specialty books priced higher.

 

Daisy Days: All-Girls Summer Day Camp Experience

FARMINGTON – Miss Porter’s School, a renowned institution with a legacy of empowering young women, is excited to announce the launch of Daisy Days, an all-new day camp for girls entering grades 3-5 this fall. Starting this summer, Daisy Days will offer a unique, joy-filled experience designed to spark creativity, build confidence, and inspire self-discovery in an empowering all-girls environment.

For additional details, visit pcgl.porters.org/daisy-days.

 

Artist demonstration

Avon Arts Association will hold a guest artist demonstration featuring  Granby artist Laura Eden on Tuesday, February 18 at  Avon Town Hall, 60 W. Main St., lower level, at 6:30 p.m. Ms. Eden will demonstrate egg tempera painting.

The demo is free and open to the public ($5 suggested donation). A workshop with Ms. Eden will be held at the same location in the Avon Room on Saturday, Feb. 22, 10-2 with  set up at 9:30. Fee: $45 for members, $55 for nonmembers). www.AvonArts.org

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