February was such a strange month weather-wise...below zero one day and 40 degrees warmer the next! Unfortunately, my household experienced a frozen pipe that burst in three places. I hope you came out of the flash freeze unscathed and had a wonderful Valentine’s Day with those you love. I hope, too, that you remembered to spread kindness as part of Random Acts of Kindness week - though anytime is a good time to spread kindness. I also hope that you enjoyed the Super Bowl – congrats to all of the Kansas City fans out there! March is probably my favorite month of the Winter, because I love NCAA basketball and always look forward to the Final Four. I also like March because it means Spring is just around the corner and Spring thaw is on its way. This Winter, however, a thaw is likely not in the picture - good for the town because heating costs remain lower and less salt is used on the roads.

Speaking of money, by the time this Spotlight is published, the BoS will have finished budget deliberations. The town operating budget came in with requests totaling an 8.65% increase over last year. The BoE came in with requests totaling a 4.39% increase over last year. As required by Town Charter, after my First Selectman cuts, I reduced the combined budget of Town Operating, BoE, and Capital to an increase of 4.56%. If this holds throughout the remainder of the budget process with the BoF, we're looking at approximately $355 increase in taxes per year based on the median house value ($410,000 in Brookfield after the revaluation last year) – all, of course, subject to change.

The next few years will be extremely fragile financially. We're now paying on debt for the new Candlewood Lake Elementary School, in addition to paying on old debt (for the renovations to Brookfield High School from nearly 20 years ago and other debt). We'll likely remain in this “debt bubble” through the next several years while we continue shaping our long-term financial plan. In addition to the debt bubble, we're now experiencing economic challenges that no one could have predicted last year at this time, including, but not limited to, economic slowdown threatening recession, increasing debt burden, a 6.5% inflation rate, geopolitical tensions, rising interest rates, supply chain issues, constrained labor market, etc. To read my budget transmittal letter and to review the First Selectman adjusted budget yourself, please visit:

fy24_first_selectmans_proposed_budget.pdf (brookfieldct.gov)

Yours in Service,

Tara Carr

First Selectman

Board of Selectmen Meeting

Monday, March 6, at 7:00 p.m., Meeting Room 133. The meeting agenda will be posted on the town website the Friday afternoon before the meeting and live-streamed and recorded for viewing.

Board of Selectmen Coffee with Community

Coffee with the Community is on March 25^th, 2023 from 9:00 -10:00 a.m.at Chick-fil-A located at 156 Federal Road, Brookfield, CT. We encourage you to stop by with any questions or concerns for the Board of Selectmen.

Assessor

Elderly, disabled, and additional veterans applications for the town and state have been mailed and are due no later than May 15. Make sure to bring all the paperwork back signed and your 2021 federal tax returns and supporting 1099’s with you. We will make copies for you.

The Board of Assessment Appeal Hearings will be held in March. Your appointment will be mailed to you by early March. Call the Assessor’s office if you have questions.

If you no longer have your car, please go to our website for acceptable forms of proof for motor vehicle credit.

Public Works

The mild Winter is benefitting the town and DPW in several ways.  To date, we've spent less money than anticipated on road salt, which may be an obvious benefit. A mild Winter also helps our roads due to fewer freeze and thaw cycles, which accelerate deterioration. Our plow vehicles experience less wear and tear, which means fewer breakdowns and costly repairs. We've also used less fuel than expected. (Unfortunately, this was offset by rising fuel prices).  If the trend continues, we may have the opportunity to redistribute funds to use on other needed projects which will benefit the town.  We're already in the planning stages for our 2023 paving season. One tool we use to plan is our Road Ratings. If you were ever interested in how your road rates compared to others, you can view all of the up-to-date ratings on the town website by clicking here.

View details and the full Winter 2023 Program Guide Here

See below for March Programs & Special Events:

March 17^th - St. Patrick’s Day Craft Workshop for Kindergarten to 4^th Grade – Details on page 3. 

March 17^th - March Madness for Grades 5 to 8 – Details on page 17.

March 18^th - Adult, Child & Infant CPR/AED/First Aid – Details on page 5.

March 31^st - Flashlight Egg Hunt for Grades 3 to 5 – Details on page 3.

April 1^st - Annual Egg Hunt for children up to 4^th grade – Details on page 3.