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Common Sense Citizen Group of East Hampton, CT
Allocation Issue

In the past Common Sense has only taken a position on the appropriateness of the total spending increase in the proposed budget. Starting in 2002, we are also commenting on how the spending increase is allocated.

Please note that the following was written in early 2002. It addresses a concern that budget components other than education were falling behind. The situation worsened dramatically in the 2002-03 budget and in the 2003-04 budget with Capital being hit particularly badly. The issue was finally addressed in the 2004-05 budget which Common Sense was pleased to support .
 
4/06/02 

Recent budgets have given a disproportionately high share to Education. This practice has caused Educations share of the overall budget to grow from 56% in 1985 to 65% today. Other budget components have suffered accordingly. Spending per pupil since 1985 increased by 71% (after adjusting for inflation). In contrast, General Government spending per capita has increased 20% and Capital per capita has decreased 68%.

Education is clearly important and giving it priority was appropriate in the early 90s when our spending per pupil was some 10% below our Education Reference Group (ERGD) average. However, your tax effort has effectively closed that gap. 2001 spending was within 2% of the ERGD average. In the process your Education tax effort (as computed by the State) grew from below the ERGD average to 18% above average. (Tax effort evaluates spending relative to town wealth.) Also, 2001 spending per pupil was very close to that of the very wealthy town of Simsbury. Added to all this was your simultaneous tax effort to pay down the $24 million school debt and the $2 million High School athletic field.

We now have an enviable situation where (a) Education spending is quite respectable, (b) education taxpayer effort is above average, and (c) the school system is producing above average results. Given all this, we believe it not unreasonable to shift some priority to other Town needs.

To that end Common Sense will continue to urge some restraint in Education budgets so that other town needs can be addressed.

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