Community Corner

How Much More Should East Hampton Cut Its Budget?

Residents have another chance to weigh in on the issue and the town hopes it will.

 

East Hampton residents were heard loud and clear.

In a referendum held on Tuesday, residents voted 1,054 to 777 against a .60 mill rate increase.

Find out what's happening in East Hampton-Portlandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Fiscal Year 2012-13 budget called for $38,694,730 in overall spending, an increase of $930,430 or 2.46 percent. The board of education would have received $26,938,340, an increase of $726,338 or 2.77 percent. As a result, the mill rate would have increased to 26.28.

Voters wouldn't have it.

Find out what's happening in East Hampton-Portlandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

So, the questions now are how much will the town have to cut for the budget to pass the second time and where should those cuts come from.

Will more be cut from education, which has seen a combined amount of $300,000 cut by the board of finance and town council? Will the new position of town engineer survive? There also is a $20,000 increase for the economic development commission to hire a "consultant" to provide support. It might seem like a small amount, but small amounts add up.

The board of finance has been vocal about wanting more feedback from residents, yet few have shown up at meetings.

Board chairman Matt Walton on Tuesday night repeated his hopes that more residents would speak up.

"What I'm hoping for is to get more input from the public, to see if we can't get some direction where they would like to see the budget cut," he said.

The board will meet this Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. at the high school library/media center.

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The meeting is one more chance, but not the last, for residents to have a say before the next referendum. Once the board decides what it wants to do, the budget will go to the town council. The second referendum is tentatively set for June 5.

Will more show up on Tuesday? Maybe a few. Keep in mind that a lack of interest in the budget process is not an East Hampton problem. This happens in many towns. Part of the reason is some can't make the meetings, others don't want to speak in public, and then, of course, there is the subject matter. It's the budget.

However, residents can still provide feedback without attending. They can write to the board of finance or town council in care of the town hall. There are letters to the editor and you can always email the town (email addresses provided below). You can even leave a comment on this article.

So, if you have a few minutes, write and let the town know where you would like to see the budget cut, where you don't want the budget cut, and what increase, if any, you can live with.

With your feedback, perhaps East Hampton can avoid a third referendum.

 

Board of finance

  • Matthew Walton, Chairman: mwalton@easthamptonct.org
  • Tim Csere, Vice Chairman: tcsere@easthamptonct.org

Town council

  • Sue Weintraub, Chairwoman: sweintraub@easthamptonct.org
  • Glenn Suprono, Vice Chairman: gsuprono@easthamptonct.org

 

East Hampton Town Hall
20 East High St.
East Hampton, CT 06424

 

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