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New Canaan’s highest elected official this week called for the town to be even more fiscally conservative in its approach to contractors and vendors hired by the municipality.
First Selectman Dionna Carlson said Tuesday that the town should move toward “zero-based budgeting” versus “carry-forward budgeting.”
“We’ll continue to get better at this process, but the way it should be done is we go out to our vendors and get an estimate for the year based on what we’ve made and what we buy,” Carlson said during a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.
The comments came during a discussion of a blanket purchase order request from Public Works Director Tiger Mann regarding the town’s Water Pollution Control Facility. The purchase order includes 18 items totaling $532,667.50.
Selectman Amy Murphy Carroll asked Mann whether the listed prices were “working off of last year.”
“Are you doing any inflation adjustments on this stuff?” Murphy Carroll asked.
Mann said no, that DPW is “working strictly off of last year’s number.”
“We’re not making an adjustment per se,” Mann said.
In response, Murphy Carroll asked, “Should you make an adjustment?”
She continued, “This is zero-based budgeting versus carry-forward budgeting.”
Zero-based budgeting is defined as the process of structuring an annual budget from zero each year to ensure that all sections are cost-effective.
Ultimately, Carlson and Selectmen Steve Karl and Murphy Carroll voted 3-0 in favor of the blanket purchase order. Mann said the funding is included in the fiscal year 2025 budget.
[Note: Some quotes from Amy Murphy Carroll had been incorrectly attributed in this article as it originally appeared.]
Bravo! Finally some fiscal responsibility in the management of New Canaan’s budget.
Agree. This will make the town more responsible and can lower the taxes in the future. I would love to see the savings from the thin asphalt paving being passed on to the taxpayers. And of course, are way-over-budget BOE.