May 18, 2010 -- The Tolland Budget Referendum passed on the second try. The tally was 1828 YES Votes to 1089 NO Votes.

On Monday, April 5, the Town Council presented a newly revised budget for 2010-2011, reinstating some school and municipal funding. School budget increase = 3.5%; municipal budget increase = 0.42%; overall budget increase = 2.78%. However, Tolland voters did not support this budget at the May 4th referendum. We are now back to the 1% school budget increase detailed below.

New!! Click here for a video message from the Board of Education.

March 25, 2010 -- Tolland Schools Superintendent Guzman's list of cuts required to reduce the budget for 2010-11 by the amount recommended by the Town Manager includes 21 teachers, seven paraprofessionals, two custodians, " and the list goes on," he said.

March 16, 2010 -- Tolland Town Manager Steve Werbner published his official Budget Message to the Town Council. Click here for the PDF. In spite of input from Tolland residents urging him to recommend a higher school budget, the Town Manager has recommended that the school budget for 2010-11 be limited to a 1% increase over the current year (which increased 0% over the previous year). He has also recommended that the municipal (town services) budget be reduced by .5%. 

Mr Werbner's recommendation, if accepted by the Tolland Town Council and passed by Tolland voters at the annual budget referendum in May, will mean a $1.8 million cut to the budget approved by the Board of Education. It will also mean funding cuts to public services.

Understanding the proposed property tax = understanding revaluation.

It is important for all Tolland property owners to understand that, due to the recent state-mandated revaluation, assessed values of properties have been adjusted. Changes in assessed values depend on market conditions. Some assessments increased more than others, while some stayed the same or decreased. Many properties will incur a property tax increase just as a result of the revaluation, reflecting a rise in that property's market value. The revaluation is a given. Resulting tax increases could not be avoided and are separate from tax increases caused by an increase in the town's annual budget. Think of your property's post-reval assessed value as the new baseline.

You can determine what your new property tax will be (including changes due to reval and town budget):

Get your property's current total assessed value from this data base http://data.visionappraisal.com/TollandCT/DEFAULT.asp

Multiply assessed value by the new proposed mill rate (.02986). This is how much your annual property tax will be under the proposed budget. Divide by 12 to break it down to a monthly amount.

The Town also offers a "property tax calculator." Click here.

The Board of Education, superintendent and department heads have worked diligently to make sure there is no "fat" anywhere in the school budget. They have stated repeatedly that there is nowhere to "find" $1.8 million to cut. The result of such a large cut will harm education quality in Tolland. This will put Tolland students at a disadvantage, and a deteriorating school system will be detrimental to property values.

On February 11, the Board of Education approved a budget for the 2010-11 school year. The increase over the 2009-10 year's budget is 6.46%, and this increase is based on the actual needs of the Tolland School District. However, the Tolland Town Manager has recommended holding the school budget increase to only 1%.  The Tolland Town Council will consider both the recommendations of the Town Manager and those of the Board of Education. If less than the amount approved by the Board of Education is approved by the Town Council and later by Tolland voters, then the following could be in jeopardy:

• Teaching positions
  
• Elementary school class sizes
  
• Team teaching structure at Tolland Middle School
• World language programs in grades 7 and 8
  
• On-schedule purchase of textbooks and workbooks
  
• Sports programs

On January 7, 2010, Tolland Town Manager, Steve Werbner, issued a press release stating that "departments have been instructed to prepare initial budgets at a level of no more than a 1% increase including salary increases and to provide options for potential decreases in department budgets for up to 5%."

Tolland Schools Superintendent William Guzman requested a budget increase over the current year of 5.95%. You can read Mr. Guzman's detailed budget request by going to the Tolland schools website home page and clicking on Operating Budget Request in the right-hand column. Last year there was no budget increase at all for our schools, however operating costs continued to escalate. 

The Tolland Board of Education evaluated Mr. Guzman's budget request and adopted a budget that is slightly higher ( due to the reinstatement of the 7th and 8th grade World Language program). The Board of Ed's budget has been submitted to the Town Council.

CURRENT STATUS:

The Town Council has decided on a budget to put before voters at the May 4, 2010 referendum. The budget will be publicly advertised, and the town-wide referendum will be held on May 4th.

YOU CAN SHARE YOUR PRIORITIES AND CONCERNS WITH THE TOWN COUNCIL BY CONTACTING THEM AND BY ATTENDING PUBLIC TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS EVERY 2ND AND 4TH TUESDAY AT THE HICKS MUNICIPAL BUILDING, TOP FLOOR "COUNCIL CHAMBERS" ROOM. IF WE DO NOT PARTICIPATE, OUR TOWN COUNCIL WILL NOT KNOW WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO US.

CLICK HERE FOR TOWN COUNCIL EMAIL ADDRESSES.

CLICK HERE FOR BOARD OF ED EMAIL ADDRESSES.

CLICK HERE FOR THE TOWN MANAGER'S EMAIL ADDRESS.

The Board of Education has worked diligently to propose the most cost effective budget possible, balanced against maintaining educational quality for our children. Republicans and Democrats are united in the belief that the Town Manager's proposed budget restraints would have a negative impact on educational quality in Tolland. Please talk to the Board of Ed yourself to learn more. Send them an email.

In times when we are forced to choose our priorities even more carefully,
our kids' education should be at the top of the list.

Hope to see you, and hear from you.

Ken Kittredge
Friends of Tolland Schools, Chairperson