The town government in the next fiscal year will launch no new services and add no headcount to the municipal payroll, New Canaan’s highest elected official said last week.
Department heads now creating spending requests for the 2017-18 fiscal year have been instructed “to keep budgets as flat as possible,” according to First Selectman Rob Mallozzi.
“I think the staff is requisite with the job we are doing in all departments, so there will be no adds to staff,” he said during a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen, held Dec. 20 in Town Hall.
His comments come as New Canaan faces an approximately $400,000 shortfall in projected revenue from building permits in the current fiscal year, while the school district outlines what it has described as pressing capital needs. Youth sports groups also are vying for taxpayer support for planned upgrades to facilities under proposed public-private partnerships.
Mallozzi said contractually obligated wage increases of around 2 to 2.5 percent will be met, and that there are incremental increases in expenses such as postage.
“So I would expect most of these folks [department heads] to come in 2 to 3 percent above and then what the Board of Finance looks at can mitigate some of that,” Mallozzi said. “But in terms of services for the year, there will be no added staff for the year and that should definitely keep costs down.”
In addition to the building permits, pressures on the budget include a required increase to pension liabilities funding—up from about $700,000 to $800,000 to $1.3 million to $1.5 million, Mallozzi said—and capital needs for public facilities such as Waveny House.
The selectmen will meet with department heads over the next few weeks and present a proposed budget in late January, he said.
Selectman Beth Jones asked whether the hiring of a police officer who ended up taking a different job would affect NCPD’s ability to staff a full complement. Mallozzi said that no, the position already is budgeted for the current fiscal year (and next), so it will be filled.