By Anne White
First Selectman Fred Camillo presented his Fiscal Year 2022-2023 municipal budget on Tuesday night to members of the BET Budget Committee and virtually via Zoom.
The proposed spending plan is a total of $464,026,952 (a 3.45 percent increase over the current fiscal year); a 2.4 percent increase in the town’s mill rate.
$2.8 million is budgeted for intersection improvements on Greenwich Avenue at Arch Street and Havemeyer Place, and Fawcett Place and Grigg Street. (see page 10 for more details)
Neighborhood enhancements include: the Byram traffic safety improvements ($300,000); Glenville center neighborhood improvements ($500,000); Cos Cob neighborhood sidewalk work ($400,000); and Shore Road sidewalk work ($750,000).
Camillo said the enhancement recommendations were driven by meetings with neighborhoods and citizen input throughout the town.
He also said that he expects the cost for the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center renovation to be reduced because of ongoing capital fundraising for the building which is currently estimated to cost $21.5 million. The town has already received a $5 million donation from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation.
Highlighted in the presentation was Roger Sherman Baldwin Park which Camillo is looking to re-imagine and enhance with views of the water that “haven’t been seen in 70 years” because Parks and Recreation trucks park on the waterfront property which Camillo believes is “a very, very poor use of a great asset.” It is the first step in a planned revitalization of that waterfront area.
The Dorothy Hamill Rink is being delayed a year to allow the Rink User Committee for Design and Planning to gain more public feedback and review the project scope.
Next, the Superintendent of Schools and Board of Education Chair Kathleen Stowe presented the school budget. The operating budget stands at $176,693,242 — a 2.82 percent increase over the current spending plan with a proposed capital budget of $30,265,621.
Annual infrastructure and improvements make up $24.9 million of the capital plan. Major projects include architectural, engineering and design work on Julian Curtiss and Old Greenwich School, and a feasibility study on Central Middle School.
To view powerpoint slides of Camillo’s presentation, go to www.greenwichct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/27737/January-25-Budget-Presentation-FY23—FINAL.
For the Board of Education, go to: www.greenwichct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/27759/BOE-Proposed-2022-2023-Operating-and-Capital-Budgets?bidId=
This is the first step in the Town’s budgeting process which must go through the BET Budget Committee, public meetings, and the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) reaching completion by May 15.
