North Haven citizens packed the high school auditorium for Tuesday’s public hearing to rally for Bob Burns and the protection of the fund balance and educational budget.

Board of Finance chairman Dean Volain had hoped the meeting would clarify the public’s preference for tackling the town budget deficit: raise taxes or dip into the fund balance.

“Any further cuts would affect services to some degree,” Volain said, warning that the board would be forced to choose between the two less-than-desirable choices. The proposed budget currently draws from the fund balance.

Residents fight for Bob Burns

Burns, former town field inspector and recipient of the town’s sole pink slip amid recession cut backs, spoke first to a raucous applause. Burns said he was “still perplexed” by the town administration’s decision to let him go, suggesting that it may have been linked to his opposition of mid-contract raises given to a number of town officials.

Burns also worried that cutting his position was unwise, as the town recently appropriated over $4 million for public work projects, including the Valley Service Road extension and Todd Drive drainage project. He was unsure if the town would have sufficient and certified labor for future projects.

Burns implored his listeners to “raise concerns” about his cause, and then took his seat to a standing ovation. Many speakers took the opportunity to support the laid off town worker.

One citizen spoke of the “injustice of Bob Burns,” while resident Doug Roberts called the decision “tom foolish.” Roberts feared that the remaining town staff had neither the qualifications nor time to perform land surveys. Roberts added that the cost of hiring outside consultants to fill Burns’ void could be large.

Bernard Pellegrino of the Water Pollution Control Authority deemed the move “a mistake” and “pennywise,” stating that Burns had been a boon to WPCA public work projects. Pellegrino added that the town would be losing a man with “historical reference” in Burns.

“It’s about the position, not the person,” said First Selectman Janet McCarty, defending her administration’s move. “We need to save money. There is only one position cut so far because the budget is in progress. Each day, we move forward.”

“The public works director assured me that the work can still be done,” McCarty continued, stating that the director had a capable, seven person staff.

Concerns about the fund balance and town budget

Many North Haven citizens spoke against budget reductions and the use of un-appropriated funds to balance the budget for the second year in a row.

The current budget would take $1.8 million from the fund balance – along with “$650,000 in special revenues,” other un-appropriated funds – and reduce the fund balance from eight percent to five percent, according to Volain.

Last year, the budget took $2.5 million from the fund balance, lowering it from 11.7 percent to eight percent.

“In good times, you raise the fund balance. In bad times, you use the fund balance,” Volain explained. “five to 13 percent is still considered a strong fund balance. It is more important to keep taxes low than to keep the fund balance where it is.”

“This is a bad time. Taxes are deferred to the future. The hope is that the future will be better than today,” Volain added. “There is no tax increase now when there is the possibility to avoid it. I think there is a strong possibility to avoid it.”

While Volain remained optimistic of the economy, speakers were concerned whether similar funding or new revenues would be available in the future. Pamphlets handed out by the Republican Town Committee prior to the evening warned that lowering the 2009 fund balance could hurt future budgets, in terms of unforeseen expenses and the town’s bond rating.

Still, Volain promoted the use of surplus in hard times.

“The fund balance is not there to never be used,” Volain said. “We asked town auditors and they said ‘it is where it should be. When you need it, use it.’”

After the meeting, Volain said that he was still unsure whether citizens preferred using the fund balance or raising taxes, but added that he was complacent with the proposed budget, which had been passed unanimously by the Board of Finance.

“If the budget passes, we will have a strong fund balance and almost no tax increase,” Volain said. “That is not an easy thing to do today.”

Speakers also protested cuts to other departments. Representatives from the Public Works Department and firefighter’s unions expressed concerns about having been asked for take backs after signing new contracts. A representative from North Haven police added that the current budget could affect the department’s ability to fight “the drug problem in town,” and maintain canine units.

The proposed budget is $81.4 million, down from $82.7 million in 2008, and also includes a 1.3 percent increase in the mill rate.

Protests to BOE budget cuts

Teachers, students, and parents lined up to protest the Board of Finance’s advised cut of $450,000 from the Board of Education’s proposed budget. The school board’s proposal of $43.95 million was countered with $43.50, a move that would eliminate 6.4 teaching positions.

Resident Anne Murphy worried that electives and special Advanced Placement classes could be affected, saying that they had become “pale shadows of what they once were.”

“Our family finances are stretched, but we will pay more to keep these services in town,” Murphy said, an opinion echoed by many parents during the meeting.

Several speakers pointed out that home values are partially linked to the quality of the local public schools, while others quoted a document handed out before the meeting which compared North Haven’s per pupil expenditure to nearby towns. North Haven was second to last out of 23 towns, with $10,590 spent per student, as compared to the top figure: East Granby’s $13,446 per student.

Volain said the low number stemmed from the town receiving fewer state funds for education, due, in part, to North Haven’s large fund balance.

North Haven High School teacher Anthony Giordano argued that the town’s educational system suffered as politics forced cuts into the schools year after year and through several administrations.

“You can’t have it both ways,” Giordano said. “It’s politics, it’s ugly, and if you care about your kids’ education, you will ask the board to put back in the teachers.”

Superintendent Sara-Jane Querfeld assured the gathering that only 6.4 teaching positions would be lost, but cautioned that “any additional cuts would go into non-mandated school electives,” including music, electives, and full-day kindergarten. Querfeld added that the number of special education teachers would not change in 2009.

Volain said that the proposed $450,000 cut was “not big,” pointing out that the board’s proposal is still actually an increase over last year’s educational budget - $43.5 million compared to $42.1 in 2008 – but the extra funding would invariably go towards the “three percent salary increase.”

“We don’t do this in a vacuum,” Volain added, explaining that the move was based solely on the recession. “I don’t know how we can add money back to education.”

While the general consensus from the hearing was to reinstate Burns, avoid using the fund balance, and abstain cutting educational spending, few speakers presented means to do so. One speaker warned that if the budget was voted down, then the town would be statutorily forced to return with a decreased budget, resulting in even more cuts.