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Working for the People
By Carol Crossman, Winsted
Carol Crossman is a candidate for the Board of Selectmen in the Town of Winchester.
Your support on November 6 will enable me to continue "working for the people" by presenting an initiative to change the budget process.
In the current process, the Boards of Selectmen and Education do not sit together, debate or discuss each of their budgets to formulate a spending package that is in line with a financial plan for the town as a whole. I have heard Board of Education members remark that their responsibility is limited to the needs of the educational system without regard to the needs of the municipality (such as infrastructure and safety), and without any regard of the ability of the taxpayers to finance increased spending. This is very shortsighted; the educational system is there to serve the children of families who, sometimes, must struggle to meet ongoing expenses, including mortgage or rental payments. The Board of Selectmen also finalizes a budget that is not based on a financial plan to meet the needs of education, municipal services, infrastructure and bonding issues as a whole; their preparation concentrates on the needs, wants and desires of their side of the budget.
There is a formal presentation by the Board of Education to the Board of Selectmen but, historically, it has been a very superficial process. The end result is that both elected boards put the final burden on the citizens to scrutinize proposed spending increases to look for fairness and balance in the expenditures, and to consider their ability to pay the taxes.
In short, the current process does nothing to address planning for the future in a cohesive, sensible way to meet the needs of the town as a whole. Each side lobbies for their respective spending packages, leaving you, the taxpayer, to fund the needs, wants and desires of both—even when it undermines the viability of goals such as economic revitalization and the ability of our citizens to meet their personal financial obligations.
It is imperative that we formulate a financial plan for the Town of Winchester so that we can create budgets that work toward its implementation. Short- and long-range financial plans which include all the components of town expenditures (for example: salaries, infrastructure improvements, proposed bonding, water/ sewer costs, educational costs, actual revenues collected, and the grand list) categorized by needs, wants or desires can be used as a benchmark in the budgetary process. We continually hear promises to promote economic revitalization and ensure our quality of life. How we spend our money has a direct impact on attaining those goals.
With a working financial plan, the boards can discuss their respective spending packages and negotiate changes as needed based on the amount of revenue actually collected in the previous year, the current grand list, demographics and obligations. Proposed expenditures above those contractually obligated should be justified against the financial plan for the town. With a clearer picture of our condition—both financially and demographically—we will be able to measure the success of our budgets on an annual basis. This is not a new concept; this is a method used by private and public ventures to gauge results and performance.
Making our community an affordable place to live and revitalizing our economy are attainable goals. We have simply not prepared a strategy that will take us there. This will take leadership and vision. I am asking for your support in the November 6 election. As your selectman, I promise to listen to your concerns and to put forth initiatives that, if adopted, can make a difference.
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