Sparse Showing at School Budget Public Hearing

It was a quick and rather quiet on the proposed 2012-13 Board of Education budget Thursday night.

The hearing, which was held at the Senior Center, was adjourned within 10 minutes of being called to order by the Town Council.

And only five speakers rose to speak during the special meeting.

Last night's sparse showing echoes on the general government side of the Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr's proposed buget, when only one member of the public — former Town Finance Manager Thomas Thomspson — addressed the council.

Long Range Planning

The first to speak was , a member of the school building committee.

Giglio urged the town council to take a more distanced approach to the budgetary process, which would include putting together a long-range plan for the community."

"Just something to keep in mind as council members," Giglio said.

'Lack of Fiscal Control'

Andy Esposito was next to speak. He said the council needs to take a very careful look at the BOE budget, due to what he believes is a "lack of fiscal control" when it comes to the board of education.

"Quite frankly, I have no confidence that this budget will be managed correctly," Esposito said. "Those keep coming back with the same mistakes."

"I and many of my neighbors quite frankly have no faith in their ability to manage properly," he said.

'Nothing Is Being Mismanaged'

Jim Farrell, a member of the BOE's finance subcommittee, rose to directly address Esposito's remarks, saying that the current school board is working "diligently" to keep a tight rein on its budget.

"You have my guarantee that all the funds will be accounted for," Farrell said.

"Nothing is being mismanaged," he said.

'Look Seriously at the Budget'

The final speaker of the evening was Donna Richo, who is also a member of the school building committee.

Richo urged town council members to take a careful look at several line items that could possibly be trimmed, including those related to building management.

"I'd like us to really look seriously at the budget," Richo said, adding that while funds for "educating the students has got to be paramount" other areas should be under consideration for careful review.

"We really have got to find a way to save money," she said.

Mayor's Budget Proposal

Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr's is a total of $86,918,754, which would represent a 2.79 percent expense increase of $1.1 million over .

This includes a proposed $44,800,000 board of education budget, which would be a $500,000 increase of some 1.1 percent.

If approved by the Town Council, the mayor's budget would increase East Haven's mill rate from its current 26.59 to 30.95.

Town Council Vote Monday

The Town Council is scheduled to approve the town's final budget this Monday, April 23.

The town charter mandates the council set the final budget by April 28.