1st Selectman Stevenson Describes 2014-15 Spending

Here are First Selectman Jayme Stevenson's comments on the part of the town spending overseen by the Board of Selectmen, delivered Monday, before the Representative Town Meeting voted to pass the budgets recommended by the Board of Finance and Board of Education (subheadings have been added by Patch, and minor editorial-style changes have been made):

Good evening Madam Moderator, RTM members, fellow Selectmen, elected officials and interested tax payers.

On behalf of my fellow board members and town staff, I’m here to ask for your approval of the proposed $44,957,974 Board of Selectmen’s budget as proposed.

Parts of the Budget

Components of this year’s proposed budget are as follows:

    •    $27.5 million is requested for general municipal operations.  This is an increase of 4.7 percent over FY [Fiscal Year] 2013-14 driven largely by non-discretionary obligations in collective bargaining agreements,  increases in healthcare  (10 percent), commodities  (electricity, 14 percent), insurance  (15 percent workers compensation/10 percent property-liability)
    •     $3.5 million is requested to support the Darien Public Library.  The grant to the library represents 11 percent of the Board of Selectmen’s operating budget.
    •    $11.5 million is requested to fund debt service payments for both the Town ($3.4 million) and the Board of Education  ($7.4 million)
    •    $2.5 million is requested to support capital requests for both the Board of Education  ($797,000) and the Town ($1.7 million).  Over $600,000 of the Board of Selectmen’s request is to adequately fund infrastructure and equipment reserves. 

New Initiatives

There are only a few new initiatives represented in this year’s budget, but they are significant in their purpose. 

Facilities management

We plan to  hire a professional facilities management company that will allow us to pull the responsibility for facilities management out of multiple municipal silos and provide for centralized, high level planning, capital budgeting, scheduling, and maintenance oversight as well as staff supervision. 

This is a priority for both the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance to support recent taxpayer investments in facilities. 

Parking garage feasibility study

Helping to solve commuter and downtown parking challenges is my highest priority.  Funding is requested to undertake a parking garage feasibility study and to look comprehensively at how to better manage our municipal and commuter parking. 

Civilian dispatchers

Additionally, this budget includes Year One of a multi-year conversion to civilian dispatch.  Civilian dispatch is the best-practice model for emergency response and represents our commitment to the safety of our residents.

Testing the new civilian dispatch model for one year is a prudent way to determine if this model works for our community.  There are potential long term savings to the town with a civilian dispatch system.

Emergency response radio system

The RTM will be asked to approve a second critical public safety initiative at a future meeting.  The Board of Selectmen requested to fund Year One of a two-year project to rebuild our 20-year old emergency responder radio system.  The system is no longer reliable. 

The BOF [Board of Finance] wisely suggested that the system upgrade be funded out of the general fund balance instead of adding to the tax levy.  I urge you to fund this request when it comes before you.

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SEE ALSO:

Town Taxes up 5.8%, But with Reval Your Bill Likely Will Vary

Why Taxes Are Going up: Committee Budget Report

Ed Board Chair Hagerty-Ross on 2014-2015 Education Budget

RTM Education Committee Report on Darien Education Budget

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The Budget, the Economy and the Public

This budget was a particularly difficult budget to draft.  My board understands the stress the sluggish economy and the outcome of the October 2013 revaluation has had on our residents and taxpayers.  We are taxpayers too.   

I’m proud of our transparent budget process.  It allows for substantive input from boards, commissions, the RTM and the community at large.  

Over the past four months, the Board of Selectmen has had one person come forward to ask for budget reductions.  The overwhelming message is for us to provide more services and amenities like improved technology, new sidewalks, tree planting, and bike paths. 

Spending priorities are set through public input.  Going forward, we ask for the public and members of the RTM to join us in the budget process early.  

Thank you for your consideration and support of the FY 2014-2015 Board of Selectmen’s budget as proposed.

Jayme Stevenson

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ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT CHANNEL 79 REBROADCAST

[TV79, Darien's government television channel, sent out this message early Tuesday afternoon]

Dear TV79 Viewers:

We experienced some technical difficulties with our live coverage of last night's Representative Town Meeting debate and vote on the Town and Board of Education's proposed 2014-2015 budgets.  Our gear is getting old and we apologize that it's proving unreliable.

Because we could not air the first 45 minute of last night's meeting live, we are airing the entire RTM meeting (all 2 hours and 50 minutes) continually today and tomorrow.  We will also re-air the meeting starting this Friday, May 16.

We will carry tonight's Planning & Zoning Commission meeting LIVE at 8 p.m. as it hears about the proposed cell tower at the Ox Ridge Hunt Club.

Again, we apologize for last night's problems.  We are working to keep our equipment operating as best as possible.