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Municipal Elections	2008/09 Budget for May 13 Referendum By James Bruner The Board of Finance (BOF) this year decided to follow a different path regarding the initial 2008/09 budget that will be sent to the voters for the first referendum. Historically the BOF has only made minor adjustments to the requests submitted by the Board of Education (BOE) and the Board of Selectmen (BOS). The BOF understands that the other elected officials spend a lot of time and effort preparing their budgets with the intent that these requests will move forward to the voters. This process in the past has allowed the boards the opportunity to rally their supporters to help pass the budget. This practice has led to first round tax increases of 7.0, 9.3, 9.0, and 6.2% for the past four years. It has also resulted in the budget frequently taking 4 referendums for passage. The challenges this year are greater than normal. The Bolton taxpayer is experiencing cost of living expenses that are not predictable and a State and Federal economy that is shaky. Health care cost for the town is rising by about 15%. Wage expenditures are up 4.75%. Revenue from investments is down significantly. Enrollment of Bolton children in the school system is declining, but the addition of 34 students from Columbia in the high school helps to stabilize student population. (Please note that as a result of a 2007 ordinance, only $65,063, 20% of the revenue from Columbia goes into the general fund. The balance of the money, $260,250, is put into a set aside fund for education facility needs.) The BOF decided to take a more aggressive approach, after analyzing all this information, for referendum #1 by reducing the expenditures requested by a total of $401,835. Education was reduced by $200,000 and the Selectmen by $201,835. Copies of the budget are available at the Town Hall for those interested in more information. The referendum will be held on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at Town Hall between 6AM and 8PM. Please take the time to vote. (Note: The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and perspectives of the BOF or the Republican Town Committee.)
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Bolton Fire Department	Debt Culture The media these days is dominated by countless news stories of home foreclosures, high credit card balances and general indebtedness of our citizens. Is this indebtedness influenced by excessive spending in Washington, Hartford or just our evolving culture? Financing a home is almost always a necessity, autos are so expensive that purchases usually require financing, but many folks are using credit for all material items including the basic necessities of life. Bolton has a small town rural culture with many conservative families that earn their living by hard work and long hours at demanding jobs. Towns like ours with a population of around 5,000, with a very small business base, find it difficult to sustain municipal government including operations, education and maintenance without placing the burden of heavy taxation squarely on the shoulders of these hard working families. As an example, the average Bolton residential property taxpayer assessment last year was about $163,000 resulting in a tax payment of about $5,000. The average commercial/industrial property taxpayer assessment was about $365,000 resulting in a tax of $11,000. A realistic loan of $20 million in today’s environment, 5.5% interest for 30 years, will cost the average residential taxpayer about $650 per year and the average commercial/industrial taxpayer about $1460 per year. In the recent past the Town borrowed money after approving purchases for the Rose farm, the 21-acre Pistritto property and a new fire truck that resulted in a bonded debt level of $5 million. In order to make needed repairs to the library, town hall, athletic fields and schools in 2007/2008 the town borrowed more money. The debt per capita is $989, according to the Town auditor. What’s the answer to our dilemma? Expanding the grand list as a result of providing sewers for the Rt. 44 corridor is years away, so the answer probably is 1) become more frugal by making tough choices, 2) borrow more money, or 3) a combination of the two. The value of frugal choices is that it will provide an incentive for volunteerism and fund raising to provide some of the Town needs. The purpose of this information is to inform Bolton taxpayers and voters of several of the challenges our community faces relative to municipal debt.
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	The Future of the Notch Road Municipal Building The process to find a fix for Town Hall has been going on for over 8 years.   The time has come for the community to support an affordable and long-term solution for the needs of municipal government.   For many years the focus has been on renovating the Notch Road Building.  Recently the Board of Selectmen have been pursuing a new vision based around the purchase of the Pistritto property and the sale of the northern part of the Notch Road Municipal Center to the King’s School.    In September the King’s School announced they were going out of business.  The future of this building is now in limbo. [read more] A chronology of events related to plans for the future of the Notch Road building is located Here.
	Public Hearing Concerning Town Charter Revision BOLTON – The Board of Selectmen held a Public Hearing at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 3, 2007 to hear comments on the draft revisions to the Town of Bolton Charter as submitted by the Charter Revision Commission to the Board of Selectmen. Copies of the draft revisions are available for public inspection at the office of the Town Clerk, 222 Bolton Center Road, Bolton, CT during normal business hours. An electronic copy of the draft revisions as of November 6, 2007 may also be downloaded Here (File size 168kb). The file format requires Adobe Acrobat.
	Bolton Considering High School, Town Hall Expansion BOLTON – A public meeting was held Wednesday, August 1, 2007 at the Notch Road Municipal Building to discuss proposals to renovate and/or expand Bolton Town Hall and Bolton High School. A preliminary report describing various options and estimates of corresponding costs has been prepared by the Schoenhart architectural firm. No decisions have been made as to which of the options the town will use. The Bolton Republican Committee recommends that you visit our web page for more information and attend future town meetings pertaining to the High School and Town Hall. A 28 page architectural report describing the options being considered and the corresponding costs may be downloaded HERE (File size 12.6Mb). This file format requires Adobe Acrobat.		Do Higher Taxes Make for a Better Economy?According to the Wall Street Journal, data show that states that have reduced taxes fare better than those that opt for tax hikes. [read more]
	School Capital Fund Ordinance Approved The Board of Selectmen has approved the proposed School Capital Fund Ordinance. The ordinance establishes a special fund to be known as the School Capital Fund. The fund will be used in whole or in part to fund school capital expenditures including: the acquisition; erection; expansion; installation; improvements; renovation; and replacement of facilities and equipment. In addition, the fund may be used in whole or in part for repayment of debt service associated with school building projects. The wording of the ordinance may be reviewed HERE.		Bolton Republican Town Committee Members The following citizens of Bolton currently serve as officers of the Republican Town Committee: Chairwoman - Jennifer Harvey; Vice-Chairman - David Treadwell; Secretary - Judy Wilson; Treasurer - Kim Converse. A complete listing of all members of the Bolton RTC is available on this website.
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