WINSTED, Conn. -- The town’s program that allows residents to get sand and salt from the Department of Public Works each winter was among the casualties this year due to the economy.

“It’s budgetary,” town manager Keith Robbins said. “It's $11,000, and the Board of Selectmen chose to make that one of their reductions in the fifth round of budget cuts.”

Critics, however, contend that the cost of the free sand and salt, which the city buys in bulk, is minimal. They said the real reason for the cut-off is something more sinister.

“They’re trying to punitively punish the taxpayers because we have said no to the politicians who have wanted tax increase after tax increase, and we've had it,” said David Lapointe, of the Taxpayers Association. “We're saying no, no tax increase, and now they're saying no sand and salt even though we've paid for it.”

But town officials said that’s simply not the case.

“It's unfortunate that folks think that,” Robbins said. “No part of the budget process, in my experience both here and in other postings, is based on getting back at someone. It's just the nature of the business. You have to lose. Something has to come out to be able to afford what folks want.”

Voters in Winsted will head to the polls to weigh in on the sixth proposed budget on Jan. 31.