KENT, Conn.—The Board of Finance has combed through the proposed municipal budget for 2025-26 and determined that the boards of education and selectmen should each reduce their proposed increases — the Selectmen by $30,000 and the Board of Education by $25,000.
The decreases left the municipal budget (which combines town and educational expenses) at $7,416,896, up $519,626 or 7.53 percent.
The Selectmen met Monday, April 21, to discuss where to cut their budget and looked at different alternatives that ranged from reducing departmental budgets, to nibbling away at the refreshments provided for poll workers, to moving the town employees to the state health plan.
In the end, First Selectman Marty Lindenmayer suggested that $15,000 be cut from the line item for legal fees to defend against a possible federal recognition of the Schaghticoke tribe. The tribe was denied federal recognition in 2005, a move that, at that time, appeared to settle the community’s chance of obtaining sovereignty.
Last year, however, the federal government floated the idea of a temporary suspension of the rule prohibiting reapplication for recognition. The town expended more than $28,000 to prepare its opposition to this move.
“Last year, there was a big push and a big bill to submit our objection to the Department of the Interior,” said First Selectman Marty Lindenmayer, “but with all the craziness in Washington, no one is doing anything about it.”
He said that the money could be cut for the time being, leaving a balance of $45,000 in the line item. A special appropriation could be made if “a full legal battle” were to develop. “I feel it is grinding to a halt,” he concluded.
Selectman Lynn Mellis Worthington suggested that the Social Services budget be trimmed and that the staff seek grants to underwrite assistance. “They need to go through hoops to get it,” she acknowledged, “but if the money is there, we should look for different funding sources.”
They also looked at ways to reconfigure the land use department, perhaps folding the fire marshal’s account into that department, but backed away from that suggestion.
Then Administrative Assistant Joyce Kearns chipped in, offering to cut the $5,000 increase from the welcome center account. “I can negotiate that for a while,” she said.
In the end, Selectman Glenn Sanchez suggested that only three items be cut—the contingency fund, reduced from $30,000 to $20,000; the welcome center account, from $25,000 to $20,000, and the Schaghticoke account, from $60,000 to $45,000.
“Those three lines alone get us to the $30,000 the Board of Finance wants,” said Sanchez, adding that he had been struggling to find “big pieces” until Kearns said she could defer the $5,000 for the welcome center.
The Board of Education has not met since the Board of Finance required it to reduce its budget. A call asking for details about how the finance board’s directive might be implemented was not returned by press time.
The Board of Finance is scheduled to meet tonight, Wednesday, April 23, to act on the budget. It will go to a public hearing on May 2.
