Vernon Capital Budget Touts $3 Million In Projects For 2021-22

VERNON, CT — Vernon's latest six-year capital improvement plan includes about $3 million worth of projects for the 2021-22 fiscal year on their way to Mayor Daniel Champaign for review.

The local capital improvement committee finalized the budget this week.

It must be sent to the town council by March 15.

Vernon Finance Officer and Treasurer Jeffrey O'Neill said the department head requests for the next fiscal year totaled $12.1 million and about a quarter of them made the cut.

Here are the highlights:

• $825,000 for a fire department tanker that would be paid off via a 10-year lease
• $46,500 for 15 sets of gear for firefighters are part of an ongoing replacement program
• $78,210 for the second year of an ongoing program to replace aging police radios
• A $25,000 contribution for a fire station repair program via the capital non-recurring account
• $200,000 for sidewalks
• $500,000 for road resurfacing
• A contribution of $1.25 million to renovate the historic Citizens Block building in Downtown Rockville
• $200,000 for data processing infrastructure

The total for the next fiscal year is $3,124,710, O'Neill said.

Vernon town administrator Michael Purcaro praised the committee for its choices.

"I would like to thank Lisa Moody, the chairperson of the Vernon Capital Improvements Committee and all of the committee members for the countless hours that they have put into analyzing the capital budget and for their valuable recommendations to the mayor and administration," he said. " Their work is an integral part of our budget process and significantly contributes to the vitality and sustainability of our community."

The budget outlines $41.4 million in potential projects through 2028.