Council Votes to Close Board MBR Gap
WETHERSFIELD - A town healthcare fund surplus will cover the Board of Education share of this year’s Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) contribution, allowing the district to close the last of a budget shortfall and lift the budget freeze that jeopardized the high school DECA team’s trip to a national competition.

       The Town Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve the use of over $88,000 in healthcare savings to relieve the Board of paying into OPEB this year, satisfying a state-imposed Minimum Budgeting Requirement (MBR) that rose with a last minute Education Cost Sharing (ECS) fund increase in May.

       â€"This makes us whole again,” said Superintendent of Schools Mike Emmett over the phone. â€"We’re hopeful and confident we’ll come in on par with where we need to be.”

       The issue first arose this past fall, when the Board reported a $255,000 overage. At the time, the change in ECS funding from May-the Council actually funded the Board at a 1.9 percent increase-left a $240,000 gap between the town and MRB compliance.

       A midyear cut in ECS funding reduced the differential to about $88,000.

       During discussions, Town Councilors disputed the state’s calculations of the MBR, but pledged to work with the Board to come to a compromise in remedying their deficit.

       â€"The Town Council and Board of Education communicated and wanted to have a spirit of cooperation,” said Board Chair Bobbie Hughes Granato.

       â€"In truth, we funded more than less last year,” Mayor Paul Montineri said during the meeting. â€"Having said that, this is appropriate to get done. We wanted to resolve this and get them through.”

       At Monday night’s meeting, Republican Councilors voiced some criticism toward the Board-pointing to a previous vote not to unfreeze the $4,000 needed by the DECA program-but voted in favor of the MBR-related transfer.

       â€"It shouldn’t come down to this, so hopefully this is the last of it,” said Councilor Jodie Latina.

       Granato said that releasing the $4,000 for DECA would have showed inconsistency in how the freeze was applied, opening the Board up to requests from other interests.

       â€"These kids suddenly got caught up in this freeze, which we can unfreeze today,” she said.

       Republican Councilors pointed to the potential for increased costs-possibly in the form of cuts to municipal aid and the imposing of teacher pension payments-while calling for more careful Board budget planning and recognizing the challenges posed by a midyear reduction in ECS.

       But a good portion of the budget deficit was driven by less than predictable special education costs, Emmett has said.

       The meeting kicked off with a lengthy public comment segment that featured a mix of advocates for the MBR transfer approval-for the sake of the DECA students-and proponents of funding for repairs to the aged Cottone Field.

       On the former, town resident Greg Lichatz-who had originally taken the podium to discuss the field-offered to cover the $4,000 for DECA himself if the vote did not pass.

       â€"It’s for the kids,” he later said. â€"They deserve it.”

       Each year, students from DECA participate in regional and national business/marketing competitions. The $4,000 will cover a trip to San Francisco if the team-already regional competition bound-qualifies for nationals.

      

      

      
STORY BY MARK DIPAOLA   |  Mar 09 2017  |  COMMENTS?