By Sarah Opdahl

For most of the Wednesday, April 8, New Fairfield Board of Finance (BOF) meeting, members searched to find a middle ground that did not exist on budget cuts, as the board was entrenched in their stances on previously requested cuts. With a $150,000 education budget cut and one for $80,000 from the Town budget on the table, each member shared their thought processes on the cuts.

Superintendent Dr. Ken Craw came back to the BOF with a proposal that had already been decried, at least partially, by the Board of Education (BOE) as it suggested a $50,000 special education contingency cut, which was a nonstarter. The push-pull of frustration regarding resistance to the cut was apparent all around, with educators pointing to current financial difficulties and potential uncertainties, while some finance members leaned on what they see as a more than reasonable ask in the cut. Two BOF members were staunch that nothing, or a lesser amount, should be cut from the education budget, while the majority agreed that there are likely areas where the money can be found.

Craw explained, in looking for budget reductions “we want to maintain all health and safety measures” and he noted that there are federal and state mandates, including special education, to keep in the forefront, as well as goals to maintain class sizes and programs and services for core academic areas and co-curriculars. He likened potential reductions to Jenga blocks that can have a cascade of impacts and noted that there are a number of unknowns that may sway the budget moving forward, such as future utility costs or potential emergencies.

First Selectman Ms. Pat Del Monaco explained the cut was simpler than expected on the Town side. “I went back and I looked closely at the State Police projection. They had actually projected for eight troopers instead of six. So that difference is roughly $148,000; we took the $80,000 out of there. A  couple of things: I would not take the whole $148 because there is one piece that is always missing at this time of year, and that is the fringe benefit rate…and the other piece is that this line does tend to be where we can go at the end of the year and true up a little bit.”

BOF Chair Mr. Wes Marsh reminded fellow members that he would have approved steeper cuts, while Ms. Thora Perkins shared that she was thinking about “the whole Town” in standing firm on the cuts. Ms. Jessica Sanchez, who did not want to see anything cut from the budget, proposed a lower cut for education, which was rejected. She reasoned with BOF members in the search for common ground, saying, “I know we want to vote in a block…I understand what that shows to the town.” She went on to say, from her standpoint, “we are collectively, Board of Selectmen, Board of Education, Board of Finance, are getting so detailed in what we are looking at that we are getting better at what we are doing, and we have to accept the level of sophistication that we are asking these two boards to get down to.”

The next regular New Fairfield Board of Finance meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, 7:30 p.m.