Mayor McCoy: FY 2011-2012 Budget Adopted at Annual Town Meeting

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Mayor McCoy: FY 2011-2012 Budget Adopted at Annual Town Meeting
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Mayor McCoy and the Vernon Town Council Tuesday held the Annual Town Meeting at Rockville High School, where 127 qualified registered voters and property owners voted overwhelmingly to adopt the fiscal year 2011-2012 Budget.

The $79,293,749.00 budget focuses on several key hallmarks, including economic development, energy efficiency, and a reduction in the Town's tax rate, from 30.02 to 29.90. The adoption of the budget marks the first time in 12 years that the budget was not sent to a town-wide referendum.

"I am very pleased that the residents and taxpayers of Vernon approved this budget with overwhelming support," Mayor McCoy said. "With this budget, the community will continue to receive all of the great services currently provided, both at a lower cost to the taxpayer and with increased efficiency."

"Vernon's residents and taxpayers will be very happy with the spending plan put together by the Mayor, the Town Council and the Board of Education," added Deputy Mayor Brian Motola. "Taxes will not increase while services will remain intact."

The budget fully funds all services provided to citizens, including public safety. Police Chief James Kenny stated that, "The Vernon Police department is grateful that the citizens supported the upcoming budget and we will continue to provide the best possible services to the community with the funding provided."

Vernon Fire Chief William Call added that, "The Fire Department is very pleased that the Mayor's Administration has addressed its needs, including safety equipment, uniforms, and fire apparatus. We are pleased that the people approved the proposed budget presented to them."

Overall, the budget has a 0.73 percent increase from fiscal year 2010-2011. Mainly attributing to the historically low increase is the addition of capital improvement and debt expenditures, increasing by $766,763.00 or 13.96 percent from the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Spending on general government and education decreased in the budget by $97,872.00 or 0.38 percent and $96,601.00 or 0.20 percent, respectively.

"I am delighted with the passing of the 2011-2012 budget at the annual town meeting," said Dr. Mary Conway, Superintendent of Vernon Schools. "The budget is fair and reasonable and allows the school system to maintain current class sizes and services to children in the schools. I am especially appreciative of the support and hard work of the board of education, the administrative team, the town council, and the mayor who united as a team to prepare and promote this budget."

Commenting on the budget the Parks Director Bruce Dinnie said that, “I am pleased that the budget passed and that we can now focus on summer camp for the children and preparing our pools and beaches for this summer.”

"I would like to thank my Administration and the Town Council for supporting this budget and working hard to ensure that the residents of Vernon were delivered the best possible budget and thoroughly informed about it," said Mayor McCoy. "The fact that this budget was not sent to referendum, for the first time in 12 years, is a testament of the job that we are doing for the Town of Vernon. That being said, I would like to thank the residents and taxpayers of Vernon for their support of this budget and for allowing me to serve as their Mayor."

Tina Around Town WFSB interviews Mayor McCoy about Vernon's Budget

Click on this link to watch the interview:
http://www.wfsb.com/news/27311650/detail.html?taf=hart

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Town of Vernon - 2011 - 2012 Mayor McCoy's Proposed Budget

Town of Vernon, CT - Budget 2011-2012

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Symbols return to Rockville Library stepsArticle | ReminderNews

Article ReminderNews: "Symbols return to library steps
BY STEVE SMITH Staff Writer
Originally light fixtures, two globes had adorned the front entrance to the Rockville Public Library for more than 100 years, until the fall of 2007, when they were stolen."

Last Tuesday, a ceremony took place, with several town officials, library trustees and staff, State Sen. Tony Guglielmo, to dedicate the replacement globes now sitting atop the same pedestals.

The copper globes, according to DiTarando and library staff, would not have netted the thieves more than a few hundred dollars.

Mayor Jason McCoy said it was “very sad” when the globes were taken.

“I feel like those globes and the library are symbols for all of us of the public’s access to knowledge,” McCoy said. “Rich or poor, you have equal access to the library, and that is access to the world.”

McCoy thanked everyone for their efforts and donations for seeing the project through. “It’s not the biggest issue in the world, but when a symbol is taken, I think it creates a problem with the spirit of the people in the community,” he said. “I’m so happy this is finally completed .”

Bob Hurd, president of the library’s trustees, said the bronze spheres, replicas of the ones that were there, were replaced with the help of the library’s insurance and the efforts of local architect and sculptor Roger DiTarando.

“I met Roger through the RDA committee . He was able to pull off the recreation of these globes in bronze,” Hurd said. “If you are not familiar with his work, you should get familiar with his work.”

The original globe artist, was part of an artists community in Cornish, New Hampshire.

A campaign was launched by the Tolland County Chamber of Commerce to raise funds for a reward leading to the capture of the theft perpetrators, but since no one was ever caught, those funds went to pay the insurance deductible .

Rockville Bank was the depository of the funds, which Chamber Executive Director Candice Corcione said was more than $1,500, raised primarily from donations by Chamber members.

“Now the building is complete again,” said Library Director Donna Enman. “It’s a good feeling. It’s permanence.”
“We’re restoring a part of the history of the community. For people to take them away – really the whole community missed them.”
DiTarando said he has works throughout the state, including a sculpture on the UConn campus, and two large weather vanes at the Tunxis Plantation Golf Course in Farmington.

He said he had a fuzzy picture of the original globes, and had measured the green ring left on top of the pillars where they sat.
From that, he was able to calculate the dimensions.

“I sculpted the three fish [which form the “feet” of the spheres] in clay,” he said. “I made molds and had them cast. The rest of it was all fabricated from sheet rods. I hammered them, bent them and welded them.”

DiTarando said it only took him about two months to complete the entire project.

Security cameras are installed, keeping constant watch over the globes, to deter anyone from stealing them again.
DiTarando said he used stainless steel bolts and an epoxy resin to fasten the globes to the pillars, and the composite is much heavier, making them substantially more difficult to remove.

“I’m very pleased to be part of the project,” he said. “It’s the perfect project for me.”

See DiTarando’s other artworks at his Web site, http://www.blogger.com/www.ditarando.com, and visit the library’s Web site at www.biblio.org/rockville.

Contact Steve Smith at ssmith@remindernet .com.VYDRXKVR4UJ6