Eight Reasons Enfield Republicans Should Drop the Pride Flag Referendum

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  In 2022, the Town Council, under a Democratic majority, approved a policy allowing Pride flags to be displayed at Town Hall during Pride Month in June. After retaking the majority in 2024, Republicans passed an ordinance banning all non-government flags from government buildings. That should have been the end of it. But it wasn't. After forming a Charter Revision Commission, its chair, Mayor Ken Nelson, sought to include what amounts to a permanent Pride Flag ban in the town charter. Changing the town charter requires voter approval through a referendum. If voters approve the measure, future councils must follow the rule unless a new referendum overturns it. Mayor Nelson has been the strongest advocate for putting this on the ballot. "Can the town buildings be used to push a personal ideology on the residents of Enfield?" he asked at the Commission's final meeting. "It is a political issue—it's not our billboard." Last week, the Charter Commission dead...
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Enfield Town Council to vote on budget without tax increase


Enfield Town Hall, May 19, 2024

The Town Council is scheduled to adopt a budget tonight without a tax increase. The proposed mill rate will remain at 30.56, the same as this year. Despite this, the meeting is expected to be contentious. The Board of Education members will face off with the council in a final appeal, warning of layoffs, increased class sizes, and other problems if additional funding is not provided. The budget vote is expected to split along party lines, with Republicans supporting no change and Democrats seeking an increase. The budget proposal defers capital improvements, including repairs and new equipment purchases for schools, reducing spending by about $1.5 million. The largest offset are new police vehicles at $750,000.* However, this merely postpones costs into the future and is not something to take credit for. This budget will keep Enfield's per-pupil spending on the low end for the state. Enfield ranks low in Net Current Expenditure Per Pupil (NCEP) spending, being the 12th lowest out of 172 state school districts and the 3rd lowest in 24 selected Hartford County towns and cities, according to state data. The NCEP measures how much a school district spends on ongoing operational costs directly related to educating students, including teacher salaries, textbooks, and utilities, but excludes school construction, land purchases, debt payments, and adult education. Once the Town Council adopts the budget, the School Board will need to adapt their spending accordingly. They anticipate layoffs, larger class sizes, and some program reductions. There's little to celebrate here. While there may not be a tax increase, there will be a noticeable decline in services, particularly in schools. Looking ahead to 2026, the council will likely face similar pressures. Enfield's biggest challenge is the increasing tax burden on residential properties due to weaknesses in our commercial tax base. Any tax growth benefits from the Enfield Square redevelopment are still years away.

Proposed capital improvement spending

Proposed budget resolution

*The initial version of this post identified the EMS generator as the most expensive item. That was corrected above.

Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA

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