Bloomfield rolls back cuts to trash pickup, pool and senior service

The town of Bloomfield is rolling back proposed cuts to public services after pushback from residents.

The cuts had included a 12% cut to senior services, a 95% funding reduction for the community pool program, and the elimination of trash service for residents. The cuts would have saved the town $4.6 million.

At a budget public hearing on Thursday, the mayor announced those services will be put back into the budget.

“I have spoken with my colleagues, and we have given direction to the town manager to revisit the budget development process to include a few items that have been removed,” Mayor Anthony Harrington (D) said. “Although we still have work before us to arrive at a council-adopted budget, the FY27 budget will include no cuts to waste collection other than a possible reduction in the frequency of bulk collection, and no cuts to senior services, social and youth services, or parks, recreation, and leisure Services. Please understand that the $4.6 million saved by the town manager’s proposed budget, with no use of fund balance, will be challenging to maintain within the 6.8% increase stated in his proposed budget. However, this Council is determined to maintain services while making every effort to minimize the tax increase.”

With those cuts, residents would have to pay nearly a 7% tax increase next year. Alvin Schwapp, the Bloomfield town manager, said they will have to see where else cuts can be made.

“I think it’s fair to say, if you take $4.6 million out of a budget and don’t take something else out of it to offset that, there would be a tax raise,” he said.

While some items were put back into the budget, others were left on the cutting room floor, such as new cruisers for the police department. This is the second year the town hasn’t funded that.

If you add that to a shortfall in benefits, Schwapp, a retired Bloomfield cop, said it’s enough to drive officers to other towns.

“There are departments or municipalities that still offer pensions, and Bloomfield is one that doesn’t, and as a recruiting mechanism, that’s challenging,” he said. “We may take on fully qualified officers and once they start to realize and understand perks and benefits of other agencies, once they pass their probationary period, which allows them to transfer to another agency without penalty, then they do so.”

Schwapp said a pension could be worked into the budget in the future to help with retention.

For the 2027 budget, a forum where residents can ask questions is set for April 28. It’ll happen at 6:30 p.m. at the town hall.

Source Link