A Breakdown of the Southington Town Budget: Part I

Downtown Southington CT PHOTO PRO PHOTO

Budget documents are rarely easy to digest. In some ways they contain too much information – rows of numbers that can make your eyes glaze over. Yet they may also contain too little information, employing abbreviations and terms that are hard to interpret. As a result, it can be hard to get a sense of where money is actually going, despite the good-faith efforts of those who created the document to be clear and concise.

To make things a little easier for residents who want to be prepared for the Town Council’s crucial budget vote next week, we have gone through the proposed budget document that was approved by the Board of Finance and placed its items in order from largest to smallest. For each department or line-item expense, we have given the proposed expenditure, followed by one, two, or three of the biggest components, to indicate where the lion’s share of that money is going.

For town departments, the main expense is usually salaries, which can account for 70 to 90 percent of the expenditure. Next come utilities and maintenance, if the department has a dedicated building, followed by supplies.

The reader will notice that some budget line items are listed separately from the departments they apply to. The Heart and Hypertension fund stands as an example of this: while reserved exclusively for police and firefighters, it is not listed in their department budgets. The budget sometimes splits departments, such as the Barnes Museum and the Library, that are linked to each other administratively. And while computers and copies are used by every town office, they are only included in the budget of the Information Technology office, which manages and maintains them.

The town may spend most of its money on personnel, but also purchases things – sometimes big things. Large, one-time purchases of equipment or pieces of infrastructure are listed under the Capital budget. This budget is broken out at the end.

A few line items are very large, like that for the school system. Others are tiny, like the Parking Authority’s, which is mostly used to purchase signs. To keep these differences clear, we have grouped the expenditures into Large (> $1 million), Medium ($1 million to $100,000), and Small (< $100,000).

In a forthcoming article, we will take another look at the budget, this time with a focus on increases and decreases. Our hope is that this will give readers a sense of what is costing the town more – and thus serving to push up taxes – and what is costing it less.

To view the original Budget document approved by the Board of Finance, click here.

Total FY 2026/26 Budget: $196,004,428

Large Items: Over $1 million

School System $126,799,132

Wages for Superintendent & 1,166* employees; maintenance; utilities; supplies

       *This figure represents the District’s current 1,189 employees with 22 layoffs.

Police Department $10,561,078

Wages for Chief and 81 employees

Bonds, Principal $7,821,000

Principal paid on mature bonds for general government, schools, and sewers

Payroll Taxes and MERS $6,703,211

Fed. payroll tax, Medicare, & Muncipal Employees Retirement System payments

Medical & Life Insurance $6,267,616

Self-insurance, for health and life insurance coverage

Sewer Department $6,227,506

Maintenance; waste hauling; wages for Superintendent plus 12 employees

Fire Department $6,177,656

Wages for Chief and 39 employees

Highways/Parks $4,494,567

Wages for Superintendent and 36 employees

Capital Budget $2,923,185

See below for breakout

Bonds, Interest $2,714,910

Interest payments on bonds for general government, schools, and sewers

Clear Water Fund Loan $2,181,141

Payments on loans from CT Clean Water Fund for wastewater infrastructure

Information Technology $1,794,852

Computers, software systems, copiers; wages for Director and 4 employees

Public Library $1,646,331

Wages for Library Director and 18 employees; book purchases

Heart and Hypertension $1,424,628

Payments to police officers and firefighters with heart disease or hypertension

Contingency $1,101,625

Unforeseen expenses; negotiated salary increases

Central Dispatch $1,063,516

Wages for 12 emergency services dispatchers

Insurance $1,062,994

Payments for auto, property, and workers’ comp insurance policies

Medium Items: $1 million to $100,000

Snow & Ice Removal $810,000

Supplies; overtime pay

Calendar House $709,048

Wages for Director and 5 employees; temporary wages

Finance Dept. $688,210

Wages for Finance Director and 6 employees

Engineering Dept. $673,609

Wages for Town Engineer and 6 employees

Building Dept. $608,655

Wages for Director and 6 employees

Assessments $553,490

Wages for Assessor and 4 employees; revaluation services

Street Lighting $531,375

Equipment lease payment; electric bill

Planning & Zoning $491,894

Wages for Director and 4 employees

Community Services $480,485

Wages for Director and 3 employees; temporary wages

Town Clerk’s Office $424,275

Wages for Town Clerk and 4 employees

Health Dept. $402,628

Subsidy payment to South Central Health District

Police Retirement $400,710

Supplemental retirement benefits for police

Recreation $315,881

Temporary summer wages (esp. lifeguards); wages for administrative assistant

Town Manager $315,801

Wages for Town Manager and Executive Assistant

Youth Services $306,148

Wages for Youth Services Coordinator and 3 employees

Bulky Waste $301,814

Hauling services and overtime pay

Fire Hydrant Rental $290,466

Rent payment to Water Department for fire hydrants

Tax Dept. $276,054

Wages for Revenue Collector and 2 employees; mailing expenses

Economic Development $273,368

Wages for Econ. Development Director and assistant; town promotion

Town Attorney $266,500

Regular wages and legal fees

Elections $264,932

Temporary wages; election supplies; wages for 2 Registrars of Voters

Human Resources $253,596

Wages for HR Director and assistant

Environmental Issues $230,000

Contractor services; legal fees

Miscellaneous $185,000

Accumulated sick leave payouts

Animal Control $179,393

Wages for Animal Control Officer

Town Hall $158,099

Building maintenance, utilities, part-time custodian

Barnes Museum $141,239

Wages for Curator and assistant

Small Items: Under $100,000

Town Council $94,343

Memberships in CT Conference of Municipalities

& Capitol Region Council of Governments

Non-School Nurses $92,329

Contractor services

Organized Recreation $83,947

Funding for 11 youth sports leagues

Safety Program $82,000

Painting traffic control markings; 10 town-owned traffic lights

Community Assistance $67,465

Contractor services

Annual Audit $55,000

Fee for annual audit

Weichsel Center $49,996

Utilities

Tree Maintenance $45,000

Tree maintenance

Non-Legal Professional Services $52,500

Services other than legal

Unemployment Compensation $35,000

Unemployment benefits for laid off municipal workers

Town-Owned Property $35,000

Maintenance; utilities

Historical Society $21,378

Utilities; maintenance

Zoning Board of Appeals $16,700

Advertising; temporary wages

Emergency Management $16,300

Part-time emergency director stipend; command vehicle updates

Probate Court $16,000

Town subsidy to Cheshire-Southington Probate Services

Conservation Commission $10,700

Temporary wages; advertising

Board of Finance $7,620

Secretarial services and meeting recording

Commission on Disability $4,000

Contractor services

Community Celebrations $4,000

Memorial/Veterans Day celebrations

Parking Authority $2,975

Signage and services

Board of Assessment Appeals $2,090

Part-time wages

Capital Improvements for FY 2026/27

Roofing Replacement for South End School $2,980,588 bond

High School Tennis Courts Rebuild $793,420 cash

Town Aid Road Maintenance $695,000 grant

Repair/Replace Town Sidewalks $250,000 cash

Road Resurfacing $425,000 grant

Spring Street Bridge Design Fee $350,000 cash

Townwide IT Infrastructure $325,000 cash

Public Safety Radio System, Police Dept. $306,733 transfer in

South End New Bridge Design Fee $280,000 cash

Dump Trucks, Highways Dept. $250,000 cash

ADA Sidewalk and Ramp Design Fee $250,000 cash

Brine-Making System, Highways Dept. $205,000 cash

East Street Reconstruction Design Fee $200,000 cash

Mobile and Portable Radios, Police Dept. $156,180 transfer in

Bus Replacement, Calendar House $153,000 grant + cash

Axon Body Camera Systems, Police Dept. $129,630 transfer in

Flock ALPR System, Police Dept. $98,400 transfer in

74 Self-Contained Breathing Cylinders, Fire Dept. $80,000 cash

Vehicle Replacement, Highways Dept. $62,000 cash

Panthorn Field LED Lights $55,000 cash

Mower Replacement, Highways Dept. $30,000 cash

Assessor’s Office Renovation $23,222, cash

Rare Spanish Coin Unearthed

The 'tails' side of a Spanish piece-of-eight PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTOS

It was not the first time, Val Guarino, president of the Southington Conservation Land Trust, had taken his metal detector out on Land Trust properties to see what he could find. Often enough he came home empty-handed; occasionally he would find a something interesting, like an old tool. "I once found a metal file," he remarked. "That was about it."

Two weeks ago, however, his search led to the discovery of something special. He was sweeping an area that had recently been exposed by mowing. The detector made its characteristic ping, indicating that it sensed metal underground. Digging down a few inches, Guarino found a silvery disc about the size of a poker chip. He rubbed off some of the dirt and realized that he had found a coin.

Removing the rest of the dirt revealed lettering. Circling a worn and damaged silhouette on the 'heads' side of the coin were the letters DEI GRATIA 1800 CAROLVS IIII, which is Latin for 'By the grace of God, 1800, Charles/Carlos the Fourth."

The 'heads' side

On the 'tails' side (see the headline photo) was an elaborate coat of arms flanked by two pillars and surrounded by the letters HISPAN ET IND REX M 8R FM.

The first four words are short for Hispaniarum et Indiarum Rex, which means 'King of Spain and the Indies' in Latin. In other words, this was a Spanish coin. Finally, the 8R clinched the identification of the piece: it stands for 'eight Reales', and indicates that the coin was what characters in pirate movies refer to when they mention 'pieces of eight.'

The significance of the number 1800 is thus obvious: it is the year when the coin was minted - over two centuries ago, when Southington was a mere 21 years old.

But what do the other letters stand for? And what was this coin doing in Southington in the first place? For more information on the piece, the Outsider reached out to Dave Wnuck. Wnuck is a coin dealer with an expertise in early American coins, and the founder of Dave Wnuck Numismatics in Wallingford. He graciously shared the following information on Guarino's find.

"What you found is an 1800-Mo FM 8 Reales. The 'M' stands for Mexico City, where the coin was minted."

"'FM' are the initials of the assayer at the Mexico City mint. This is the person ultimately responsible to make sure the coins made at the mint under his direction had the proper amount of silver in each coin."

"The coin was legal tender in Southington (and the rest of America) and circulated alongside the US coins being minted at the Philadelphia mint. In fact, all foreign coins were legal tender in the US until 1857."

"We were not a wealthy nation in 1800 by any means, so we didn't/couldn't make enough coins for daily transactions throughout the young nation. So, a Southington resident in 1800 was much more likely to have a foreign coin in their pocket than a coin made in the USA, especially coins from Mexico. The Mexican 8 reales was the US Dollar of its day, and preferred by most countries in the world for trade purposes."

"In 1800, a Mexican 8 reales coin - commonly known as a Spanish dollar or 'piece of eight' - had a spending power equivalent to one United States dollar. A single 8 reales coin represented significant value, as a dollar in 1800 was equivalent to about $20 to $30 in 2026 purchasing power. In the US around 1800, one Spanish dollar could buy either 6 pounds of butter, 1 bushel of wheat, 4 quarts of whiskey, 2.5 bushels of corn, or 300 pounds of hay."

"The 8 reales coin was equal to eight 'bits' or reals, and was often split into smaller pieces to make change, which is the origin of the term "two bits" for a quarter."

"The US Dollar was directly based on this Spanish coin, and the Spanish dollar was the primary currency for trade. The '$' symbol is believed to be derived from the S-shaped banner wrapped around the Pillars of Hercules on the coin's design."

As for the location of the discovery, Guarino is keeping that confidential in order to prevent a swarm of treasure-seekers from descending on the property. In fact, this coin was an isolated find, which means that it probably slipped out of someone's purse two-centuries ago, rather than being part of a buried horde.

After all those years in the cold dirt, the coin will now have a nicer home - though Guarino has not yet decided whether that will be the Land Trust office or the Southington Historical Society.

Val Guarino on a Land Trust property with brush trimmers

Big Turnout for School Advocates at Budget Hearing

A full house in the Assembly Room PETER PROHASKA PHOTOS

By 6:45pm Monday night, drivers were running out of places to park near Southington’s John Weichsel Municipal Center. Inside the assembly room, it was already standing room only. Once the public hearing got underway, Town Council Chair Paul Chaplinsky announced that the fire marshal had been notified about the crowd. A few people moved into the vestibule, while others stood aside to keep fire exits clear.

The crowd, which appeared to be close to the 140 people the room is allowed to hold, was mostly present to send a message: a reduction of the proposed schools budget was not going to be accepted quietly. About thirty students, educators, parents and other community members stepped to the podium to argue against a $1.6 million reduction recommended by the Board of Finance; only two spoke about the effect of higher taxes on residents who would struggle to pay. Recognizing the strong feelings of the attendees, the Council voted in favor of Chaplinsky’s suggestion that the hearing be kept open while they consider how best to address what he called a “difficult” budget season.

Many speakers returned to a common set of points. Several spoke of the ways in which a budget reflects the “values” held by a community. Several echoed the Superintendent's warning that budget cuts would mean personnel reductions for as many as 22 people, especially in positions like literacy specialists and para-educators. They said that cuts would lead to larger class sizes, more stress for teachers, and worse outcomes for students, especially those in need of extra help. Lack of class options, including career-oriented vocational learning, would also negatively impact students.

One consequence of these changes, several residents said, would be a teacher exodus caused by burnout or the lure of better conditions elsewhere; fewer people might choose Southington as a place to live and raise families, which would lower property values. Such a cycle, it was suggested, could create a spiral from which a community might struggle to exit.

Other speakers warned that cuts might cause schools to fall out of compliance with state mandates. Cuts would impact students who qualify for Individualized Education Programs or other assistance and could lead to loss of grants. Failure to comply could mean even less state funding in the future - an especially important consideration as Southington voters decide this fall whether to fund the elementary schools project.

Colleen Clark, who sits on the Board of Education, kicked off the comment session by calling Superintendent Steve Madancy’s budget "as lean and transparent as can be,” and argued for fully funding the budget that her Board approved. A fellow Board member, Joseph Baczewski, echoed that, saying that the proposed reduction would send a message that his organization’s work is “worthless in your eyes.”

Though the crowd clapped after each speaker finished, the loudest applause of the evening was reserved for Ryan King, a student at John F. Kennedy Middle School. He had gone from needing extra literacy support earlier in his school career to carrying an A in Language Arts, he said. King spoke of the need to “disagree respectfully,” as he made a case against proposed cuts to staff members who help students like him. As for the suggestion of “pay-to-play” that could offset some of the athletics budget, he pointed out that not every family could afford those extra fees. Middle school athletics, King argued, is where students begin to make life-long friends in addition to learning skills. The most important reason for the Town to invest in the education budget, said King, is that “we’re the future generation of Southington.”

Students help lead the Pledge of Allegiance

Once the public hearing section of the meeting ended and the room had nearly emptied out, the Council still had its regular business to consider. Councilor Tony Morrison reported from the Ordinance Committee that it was still considering what to do about a noise ordinance, since it has come to light that the existing one is not enforceable because it lacks approval from the state. Another ordinance that would target the many small signs that Morrison said “litter” Southington’s landscape is also being considered. Town Manager Alex Ricciardone said he personally picks up many of them for disposal.

The Ordinance Committee also moved to consider cost recovery for fire services by bringing the issue to the full Council.

School finances appeared on the agenda again when Ricciardone reported on a recent meeting in Hartford involving legislators and the School and State Finance Project, a non-profit that seeks to address educational funding shortfalls in the state. The issue of ECS, education cost sharing, affects most districts in Connecticut, since the formula used to disperse funds for education hasn’t changed since 2013, per Ricciardone. This might be changing soon, he said, to help communities like Southington that are in the midst of hard budget decisions regarding school expenses. As Councilman David Zoni remarked, “It’s an election year, so I think that we got a good shot.”

Ricciardone also addressed a comment made earlier in the meeting regarding the Manager’s contingency fund, usually $1 million. That has dwindled this year to around $20,000, primarily due to ice and snow removal expenses during a tough winter. He pointed out that having money that can be shifted as needed — usually with Board of Finance and Town Council approval — without affecting departmental budgets is standard practice for towns like Southington.

A tax abatement was also unanimously approved for American General Investors, a company putting in a new building on a vacant parcel in the economic development zone. Town Manager Alex Ricciardone said the company would be creating around 26 jobs. Though the seven-year abatement is 100% for two years, that drops off to 50% in year three.

After more than three hours the night was not yet over for Council members and other officials, who entered executive session to discuss litigation matters.

The next meeting of Town Council is scheduled for May 11, when a final vote on the budget is expected.