Board of Education

Board of Education: Cutting $3.1MM Is Not Fully Funding Our School Budget 

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The New Canaan Board of Education (BOE) is an elected body whose mission, under state statute, is to govern the town’s public schools, including oversight and spending of town, state, and federal government-allocated funds. We proudly serve as representatives and advocates for the New Canaan community and prioritize the success of the district and its students. 

The Board of Finance cut the requested BOE budget by $3.1 million. In developing its budget, the BOE again fulfilled its promise to the community by providing a detailed annual forecast of the funding needed to continue providing high quality programming for New Canaan’s students. The BOE budgets for its anticipated needs to run the schools and meet its obligations to the community. The Board of Finance has attempted to rationalize this cut as a deferral of funding.

Government

Popularity of Platform Tennis Soars Amid COVID-19

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Municipal officials say they’ve seen a steep increase this fall and winter in the number of people playing platform or “paddle” tennis on New Canaan’s town-owned courts at Waveny Park. Revenues generated through selling permits and guest passes for the outdoor sport already have surpassed $70,000 for the paddle tennis season that started in early-October, compared to anticipated revenues of about $46,000, according to Recreation Director Steve Benko. In the past two paddle seasons, which run through mid-April, the town has taken in a total of about $56,000 (fiscal year 2020) and $46,000 (fiscal year 2019) in revenues, Benko told members of the Board of Finance Park & Recreation Budget Subcommittee during a regular meeting Monday. “Paddle is going crazy,” he said during the meeting, held via videoconference. 

“We’ve had an outstanding year so far in paddle tennis. Our revenues are way up in paddle.

Board of Selectmen

CFO: Board of Finance To Review Selectmen Compensation

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Though the spending plan for the office of New Canaan’s highest elected official calls for an overall 4.5% reduction, items within it such as the first selectman’s salary could be adjusted when the budget comes to the Board of Finance, officials said this week. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan’s current salary is $147,000, according to the approved budget for this fiscal year, while the two selectmen together are paid a stipend totaling about $16,000. “The Board of Finance will be considering compensation,” CFO Lunda Asmani said during a budget hearing Tuesday. “This is reviewed, typically, every two years, I believe, so they will be looking at first selectman and the selectmen. That will be discussed at the Board of Finance level, and whatever is proposed at that point we’ll make that adjustment to that budget.”

The Board of Finance is scheduled to take up the budget Feb.

Grand List Increases by $43 Million; Top-10 Taxpayer Accounts

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The total value of taxable property in New Canaan—including homes, commercial properties and motor vehicles—increased by about $43 million from 2019 to 2020, according to preliminary figures. Given a mill rate of 18.164, the year-over-year increase in funds for the town from the taxable property would come to about $782,865. The Grand List’s $7.8 billion total reflects upticks in the total value of taxable real estate and personal property and motor vehicles. Here’s a table that details year-over-year growth:

 

The Grand List measures the total value of taxable property on Oct. 1 of each calendar year.

News

Chief: Police Doing ‘Exceptional Work,’ Making Progress in Armed Robbery Case

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New Canaan’s chief of police said Tuesday that investigators are making progress in connection with the widely discussed armed robbery last fall of People’s Bank on Main Street. Two suspects made off with nearly $9,000 cash in the brazen daytime robbery. Chief Leon Krolikowski told members of the Board of Selectmen that the crime was unusual for New Canaan. “Look for that in the coming weeks, for some pretty exceptional work and progress on that crime,” he said during a budget hearing before the Board. “The bank robbery was unusual in that it was armed, and we don’t see very many bank robberies,” Krolikowski added.