Board of Finance: Region 20 Budget Shortfall Tops Concerns

07/24/24

The Board received and reviewed Tax Collector Rebecca Juchert-Derungs’ June 2024 report as well as reports submitted by Debbie Franklin for June 2024. Several town employees received salary increases but Library Director Tabitha Guarnieri’s salary increase was originally omitted due to a technical error in the financial management and accounting software suite QuickBooks. First Selectman Todd Carusillo claimed that Guarnieri will get her raise but it will show up in town reports by spring 2025.

After addressing technical issues regarding residents’ access to the meeting’s Zoom call, Carusillo presented his First Selectman’s Report. Goshen received its second installment from the Region 6 school district’s capital improvement account in the form of $247,538.96. Regarding Region 20’s financial issues, Carusillo met with Acting Superintendent Kristen Della Volpe and Region 20 Consultant David Erwin. According to Carusillo, Erwin initially found a $2.2 million shortfall but later updated the shortfall to be closer to $1 million. Carusillo planned to meet with Former Region 20 Superintendent Christopher Leone, Morris First Selectman Tom Weik, Litchfield First Selectman Denise Raap, and Warren First Selectman Greg LaCava on Tuesday, August 6th to determine more details on Region 20’s financial and staffing issues. Carusillo claimed Leone intended to cut 11 teacher positions and a couple of security positions due to lack of funding but the Board of Education was seemingly unaware of these cuts, “I contacted Chris and I asked him, ‘Could we sit down? (Note: according to a BOE member, the meeting was cancelled). Robert Valentine clarified that the Board of Education wouldn’t normally know details on the budget since most members aren’t accountants and they rely on superintendents to assess budgets.

Carusillo wrote in his report that Goshen will have to pay $5,840.30 to purchase a camera to cover the voting drop box outside the front door of Town Hall in accordance with Connecticut State Public Act No. 24-148. This will go out to bid but the camera doesn’t need to be installed until November 2025.

Carusillo reported that he has been negotiating with the Woodridge Lake Property Owners Association to get $100,000 for stormwater sedimentation projects, and that the Association has so far agreed to pay $1,728.48 for past projects. (Note: See article on Woodridge Lake account settlement p. 4)