Goshen Board of Finance Recommends Title 67 Rescindment

04/30/25

In attendance were Chairman Ned Bixler, Vice Chairman Robert Valentine (zoom), Paul Collins, Scott Tillmann, James Korner, Carl Contadini, Alternate Patrick Reilly and First Selectman Todd Carusillo.  Russell Murdock was excused, and Alternate Carl Contadini was seated in his place.

The meeting started with discussion of the title 67 Land Acquisition Fund. There is currently one million dollars in the fund.  Robert Valentine suggested rolling the money into the general fund.  “It's a great idea and I think it can be done, Bixler said.  “Unfortunately, our town attorney who is notoriously slow has not responded, but we can still, if it's the pleasure of this board, make a recommendation to the Selectmen regarding our thoughts on what they can do with the Title 67 Land Acquisition Fund, which is why it's here on this agenda tonight.”

Paul Collins made a motion which was seconded by Carl Contadini that the board would like the selectmen to consider proposing for the town meeting the rescinding of the Land Acquisition Fund but suggested prior to that there would be a town information meeting to receive input and allow discussion.  The motion was passed unanimously.

The meeting continued with a comprehensive review of the town's budget, starting with capital expenditures for various departments, including the assessors, fire company, public works, and more. The board deliberated on the allocation of funds and potential adjustments, with particular attention to the need for infrastructure improvements and public safety measures, such as speed enforcement cameras.

During the discussion on employee benefits, there was a notable focus on health insurance costs. The board acknowledged the significant increase in insurance expenses and debated whether to recommend increasing employee contributions from 5% to 7% to align more closely with neighboring towns. However, the motion to recommend this change did not receive a second.

The board proceeded to approve individual department budgets, including animal control, the Board of Assessment Appeals, the Board of Finance, building official, cemeteries, civil preparedness, conservation commissions, economic development, elections, employee benefits, fire commissioners, fire marshal, fire protection, fiscal office, inland wetlands, insurance, land use enforcement, library, miscellaneous expenses, newsletter, planning and zoning, professional services, public works, recreation, rescue, Selectman’s office, streetlights, tax collector, town clerk, town office building, treasurer, waste removal, water pollution control, welfare, and the zoning board of appeals. Each department's budget was reviewed, discussed, and approved sequentially.

The board discussed contingency planning and whether the current allocation of $40,000 was sufficient. Concerns were raised about the potential need for a larger contingency fund due to uncertain state and federal revenues and the possibility of unexpected expenses. However, it was decided to maintain the $40,000 allocation, with board members citing the ability to reallocate funds within the existing budget if necessary.

Subsequently, the board scheduled a special meeting for May 21, 2025, as a precautionary measure to address any issues arising from the public budget hearing scheduled for May 14, 2025. This was seen as a way to handle any necessary adjustments following public feedback without disrupting the overall budgetary process. The board emphasized the importance of public engagement and transparency in the budget approval process.