Vernon School Budget to Take Center Stage at Thursday's Council Meeting

The Town Council is scheduled to review the proposed budget allocation to the Board of Education for the 2013-14 fiscal year on Thursday.

It is a part of a special meeting slated for 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

A public hearing to take comment on the budget is scheduled to begin at 7:35 p.m.  

Mayor George Apel has delivered an $82,585,933 budget to the council. That represents an increase of $1,986,773 over the approved 2012-13 budget of $80,599,160.

The school board had asked for $51,669,787, an increase of $3,488,790 over this year's spending plan. The number includes the implementation of all-day kindergarten throughout the system. Apel sent a memo to education officials saying he was taking $1.5 million out and he did just that, leaving the school board with a $50,169,787 request.

That is $1,988,790 over this year's budget. For a timeline on how the Vernon education budget made its way to the mayor, click here.

General government totals $26,506,476 in the budget Apel sent to the council. That is $334,109 more than this year.

The capital improvement and debt service budget has been proposed at $5,909,670, a decrease of $336,126.

Apel said that, if the budget is approved as presented, local taxes would increase by about 5.3 percent.

Other accounts scheduled for review on Thursday are the Fire Department, the ambulance corps, the fire marshal's office and emergency management.