Sparse Turnout for First Portland Budget Hearing

Portland town officials invited town residents to a presentation of the proposed budget plan that was held at the high school auditorium.  Few took them up on it.

It began with First Selectwoman Susan Bransfield going over the main points of her proposed spending plan, complemented by power point slides on a large screen.

Te budget calls for a spending 29.9 million, an increase of about 2.5 percent, coupled with a tax increase of .57 mills or about 2 per cent.

But Bransfield also revealed a new estimate of the impact of cuts in the budget proposed by Gov. Dannel Malloy. The town now estimates state aid to Portland would be cut by almost $300,000. The hit from the loss of PILOT funds, the state compensation for tax exempt property in towns, would be $169,000, including business equipment and telecommunications.

School Superintendent Sally Doyen then briefly went over her budget that holds the line with a zero increase. Doyen thanked the teachers union for making it possible by agreeing to major concessions over two years. 

The meeting as then turned over to members of the public to comment, but ... the only one to take them up on it was Bruce Tyler, a member of the planning and zoning commission. He suggested buying a wood chipper to reduce pollution and increase efficiency at the transfer station.

On another point, he asked why there isn't at least a part-time investigator to look into zoning complaints and policy enforcement.  

But he got a sharp reaction from Bransfield when he asked why the town pays $7,000 dollars each year for a banquet for town firemen. 

Tyler asked why the banquet was filed under utilities, and why the money was spent for a banquet. He made reference to others who work for the town and aren't recognized this way.

Bransfield said the firemen go through constant training and "put their lives on the line and on their time" for the people of the town. She said "one fireman was terribly injured this year." She was referring to Todd Ghent, who was injured in a propane explosion in January that destroyed most of a duplex. He continues a fight to recover from burns to his face and neck.  

"They do it without compensation," Bransfield said. She said the annual banquet was "a celebration of their work" and was "very appropriate."

Tyler later said the "fire department does a fine job" and he wasn't arguing against spending the money, he said it might be better spent on training or equipment. 

As far as budget deliberations still to come go, one member of the board who was present, said it's only getting started.

Mark Finkelstein said, "they'll be sitting down next week and going over the budget document very carefully,"  page by page, item by item. He said it was too early to comment further.  

It might be a feeling shared by many with fiscal uncertainties looming in Hartford. 

Bransfield said she was disappointed at all the empty seats Tuesday night. But she agreed a great deal of work lies ahead, saying there will be be three workshops the next three Tuesdays in March and possibly Wednesdays as well. It will all lead up to a decision by the selectman as a whole no later than April 6.

Following that, the public is invited back to a town meeting May 2.

The big decision will come when the town referendum will be held May 9, when residents will vote up or down, on the entire budget plan.