"People's Budget Workshop" on Town's Finances

The town will hold a "People's Budget Workshop" session next month to provide an opportunity for residents to ask questions and offer opinions as the 2011-2012 municipal budget process gets under way.

"Given the economic times and the need to be even more prudent in our spending and balancing needs with available resources, I wanted to initiate a new way for Westport residents to get directly involved early on in the budget process," Joseloff said.

"Given our increased costs, the simple fact is we are unable to continue to offer the same level of services while keeping the tax rate the same. The people of Westport need to understand this and help their elected representatives prioritize our spending."

The session will take place on Monday, Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall Room 201. It will be carried live on Cablevision Channel 79 and streamed on the town website, www.westportct.gov.

"There will be brief presentation by some of the town department heads followed by a question and answer and comment session," Joseloff said. Questions will come from those in the audience as well as those who send in an email, but the meeting will not deal with education spending, he said.

"The Board of Education has a regular process for interacting with the public on the formation of its budget," Joseloff said. "And the Board of Finance and Representative Town Meeting (RTM) members have their own budget sessions where they can question and interact with department heads."