Patch Letter: Luba Touting Yes Votes In Tolland Referendum

TOLLAND, CT — To the Editor:

On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, Tolland residents will have an opportunity to vote on two referendum items:

1) An approval of the 2021-2022 Town Budget.

2) An approval of the $5 million firehouse improvement plan. I am writing in support of both referendum items, and ask our residents to vote yes in support as well.

Arriving at a town budget was a very serious and arduous process that encompassed a rigorous review of the various proposed departmental budgets through numerous public hearings and discussions with the Town Manager, Board of Education and various department heads.

As a Town Council, we rely upon these professionals to provide us their input, based upon the needs expressed to them by our town staff, school faculty and town residents, working with them to identify the most pressing needs of the town in order to determine a starting point and build the budget from there.

We worked diligently with them, listening and discussing their identified needs, as well as listening and considering the input from our residents expressed via emails and public comment, and developed a budget balancing the identified needs with the projected town revenues as presented by our finance department. We arrived at a budget that contained no cuts in services or staff and provided the largest increase in the Board of Education budget in six years, while maximizing identified cost-efficiencies and limiting overall budgetary and mil rate increases, ensuring the town will be able to continue to provide our residents the high standard of services and education they rightly deserve and expect in the most cost-effective manner possible.

The Firehouse improvement project is long overdue, and addresses the significant issues of crumbling foundations and other badly needed repairs and improvements to the town’s four firehouses and fire training center. These proposed improvements are the result of a thorough and all-encompassing study conducted by the Department of Public Safety, and ensures we will be able to provide our firefighters the necessary working and berthing facilities and other improvements they deserve and need to continue to protect the Town of Tolland and all of its residents.

In closing, approval of these two referendum items will ensure the Town of Tolland will be able to continue to provide its residents the services and protection they need. Please join me on May 4, 2021 to vote yes on both items.

Lou Luba
Tolland Town Council member