State's 'Plan B' Budget Could Cost West Hartford Millions

, which could potentially result in $545 million of spending cuts in addition to the savings resulting from the layoff of 4,742 state employees, could have a significant impact on West Hartford’s budget.

“We are monitoring what’s going on with the state and should those dollars not be there, we’ll have to revisit how to balance our budget,” said Town Manager Ron Van Winkle in his report at Tuesday night’s Town Council Meeting.

Van Winkle said that he has been having discussions with town department heads and staff, as well as with administrators. In anticipation of potential cuts, they have frozen hiring and are postponing promotions.

“We have been getting reports from the Connecticut Council on Municipalities as well as our legislators,” said Van Winkle. “In a worst-case scenario [West Hartford] could lose several million dollars, but we will have to see which cuts are accepted.”

In response to a question from town council member Steven Adler about budget discussions with the Board of Education, Van Winkle advised that balancing the budget is the responsibility of the Town Council. He also reiterated that “unless the state passes legislation waiving local charters, we can’t change the mill rate once the budget has been passed.”

Also on Tuesday night, the council unanimously adopted a resolution establishing the West Hartford Bicycle Advisory Committee. The committee will be charged with the responsibility of providing regular feedback about how the town can become more bike friendly.

Resident Mary Ellen Thibodeau, who was appointed to the Committee along with several other West Hartford cyclists, addressed the council and said that the committee looked forward “to helping the Town Council and staff make this a better place for bikes.”

The council also unanimously voted to approve a resolution amending fees for West Hartford’s recreation facilities. Town Manager Van Winkle reported that the increases are fairly modest. “It’s not intended to raise a huge amount of money. It’s intended to keep our fees in line,”  he said.

Several individuals addressed the council, including resident David Sagers who invited Town Councilors to the event scheduled for June 4 to 5 at Northwest Catholic High School.

Paul Nonnenmacher, Director of Public Affairs at the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority, presented the council with a check for $30,014.95. That sum represented West Hartford’s rebate for the town’s successful recycling program.

“For the third year in a row, once again West Hartford has sent us more recyclables than any other town, even though you are not the biggest town,” Nonnenmacher told the council.

The council also unanimously approved James Finnegan as West Hartford’s new Poet Laureate. He is the third resident to receive that honor, and replaces Dennis Barone who was recognized for his past two years of service as Poet Laureate.