During the cold winter months from December to late February or early March a group of very dedicated citizens diligently works on the capital budget for Suffield for the following year. This commission meets every Thursday at 7 p.m. in the conference room on the lower level of Town Hall. They are known as ACCE (the Advisory Commission on Capital Expenditures.) Their role is advisory to the Board of Finance.
During December, the commission meets with all department heads to review each department’s capital needs and priorities. Public safety is always the most important consideration along with preventive maintenance and improvements. The Town usually spends between $2.7 to $3.1 million per year on capital items. To qualify as a capital item, a project must cost a minimum of $10,000. The commission also develops a plan for the next twenty years. J. Michael Stevens, Chairman of ACCE, describes the work of the group as very tedious but always educational and informative.
He praised the members of ACCE for their work and for what each member brings to the commission. They come from diverse backgrounds such as retail, construction, financial planning, information technology and law. In addition to Stevens, the members include: Maureen Schorr, Kathie Harrington, Kate Reitberg, and Seth Crocker, with Peter Hill and Ryan Anderson as alternates.
The Suffield Public Schools uses its Budget Subcommittee, its Facilities Committee, its Maintenance Director and its Business Manager to compile its on-going list of capital projects. The list at this time extends to the 2026-27 fiscal year according to Superintendent Karen Berasi. The list must pass from the Budget Subcommittee to the full Board of Education for approval before it is presented to ACCE. The main concerns involving safety and security are given the highest priority ratings.
Although ACCE hopes to have its recommended budget ready by March 2, its work could take a little longer. The Board of Finance has the authority to disagree with ACCE’s recommendations or part of their list, because ACCE has only advisory status. Everyone is welcome to the meeting on March 2 to provide information and/or viewpoints or to ask questions concerning their budget.