UPDATE
: The City Council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee on Saturday, following a morning session that lasted well into the afternoon at the City Hall Annex, slashed Mayor Bill Finch’s budget request, including $2 million from the mayor’s proposal for $7 million more for city schools. The budget committee dropped Finch’s proposed mil rate increase from 2.7 to 1.4. The mayor issued a statement Sunday afternoon announcing he and council leaders had reached a compromise on the budget that includes $2 million less than what the mayor had proposed for education, $500,000 less for police overtime and reductions in filling vacant positions.
The full City Council will vote on the budget tonight (Monday). Historically what the budget committee proposes is generally adopted by the full council. The mayor’s proposal had represented more than a $400 increase to the average city taxpayer.
Angel dePara, co-chair of the budget committee, said cuts were made to the mayor’s education request as well as elimination of dozens of vacant city positions, the so-called “ghost positions” criticized by budget critics.
As the budget committee was meeting on Saturday a demonstration organized by city Republicans included about 50 city residents protesting the mayor’s budget and urging spending cuts.
DePara said the budget committee had to balance the mayor’s request with what taxpayers could afford while being sensitive for the need to invest in city schools following three years of flat-funding education. He also emphasized the city’s need to analyze costs that involve long-term burden.
DePara, an East Side councilman, told OIB: “Going forward we have to be extremely careful when beginning any long-term commitments, whether pensions, construction, debt service and capital bonding projects. While the cost may be nominal at first you have to be able to put enough safeguards in place so that 30 years down the road the people are not going to be crushed by the burden. We must reaffirm fiscal responsibility on government.”
From the mayor:
Mayor, City Council Budget Committee Reach Budget Compromise. Budget proposal seeks $5 million increase for local education funding. Police overtime trimmed by $500K; positions to be eliminated
Mayor Bill Finch and City Council leaders today announced they have reached a compromise on the proposed 2012-13 budget which preserves education funding and will likely result in a 1.47 mil tax increase, down from the 2.78 mil increase originally proposed.
The Council’s proposed budget would cut $8,924,308 million from the proposed budget, which includes a $500,000 cut to police overtime, and the reduction/delayed hiring of vacant positions that were scheduled and planned to be filled throughout the budget year.
The Council proposal will cut approximately $2 million from the Mayor’s proposed $7 million increase in local spending for the Board of Education.
The full City Council will vote on the proposed budget on Monday, May 7 at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers, 45 Lyon Terrace.
The Mayor’s proposed budget included savings by creating more efficiencies, increased emphasis on tax collection–focusing on delinquencies and motor vehicle scofflaws, increased health care premium cost sharing by employees, and the elimination of 26.5 positions, mostly through attrition. The Mayor’s proposed budget also included nearly $10 million in mandated payments to the closed police and fire Pension Plan A.
“The Council members, my staff and I worked together to find a useful compromise that still allows us to make a record, increased contribution to the Board of Education, while making further cuts that will lessen the impact of the potential tax increase for our residents,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “I applaud the council’s budget committee for their long hours and hard work that led to this compromise budget.”
“We worked very hard to find more areas to cut, while preserving as much of the education dollars as possible,” said Council President Thomas McCarthy. “This proposal is mindful of the impact on our taxpayers, while securing the mandated payment to the closed police and fire Pension A retirement plans.”
“The Budget and Appropriations Committee scoured the budget to find ways to cut nonessential spending and keep the bulk of increased education funds intact. We’re very mindful of the impact a tax increase will mean for our residents. We think we found a common middle ground,” said Robert Curwen, Budget and Appropriations co-chair.
“Our committee worked tireless hours to identify cost-savings and additional revenues in order to lessen the tax increase for city residents and businesses while still maintaining City services,” said Budget and Appropriations co-chair Angel dePara.
Statement from John Slater, Republican town chairman:
We live in a city where thousands of people have a hard time falling asleep at night because they are trying to choose between paying their cable or electric bill. We live in a city where our citizens have to choose between a mortgage payment or buying groceries. We live in a city where our taxpayers sometimes choose between paying for daycare or calling out of work because they can’t afford a baby sitter and they refuse to leave their children home alone after school out of fear for their safety. We live in a city where its citizens can’t afford their current taxes let alone any sort of an increase.
Tonight the city council is faced with a very important decision. They are faced with a decision that will either set the tone which allows the taxpayers in Bridgeport to know they won’t have more debt piled on top of them or due to a tax increase, their burden of debt will become greater.
A tax raise of any amount is unaffordable and only WE can stop it! Please let your voice be heard and your presence felt by attending the City Council meeting tonight at City Hall on Lyon Terrace.
A public-speaking session will begin at 6:30pm and the vote will follow shortly after 7. Please sign the petition against this increase by visiting www.stopthetaxincreases.com.
There are currently thousands of foreclosures under way in the City of Bridgeport. A tax raise now would be disastrous.
*** Regardless of their “limited” budget capabilities, the B&A committee’s proposed cuts of the Mayors spending request bringing the mil rate from 2.7 to 1.4 is a positive step in the right direction, no? Keep digging guys, you’re getting closer to an achievable budget that can work if tweaked correctly by T. Sherwood & Co. After all, it is what it is! *** FOCUS ***
If Bill Finch really wanted $7 million for education, he should have requested $14 million instead which is equal to the last request the BOE made under the leadership of Max Medina. Keep in mind, at the time the BOE made this request they were flat-funded the two prior years. Bill Finch describe the $7 million request as “unprecedented.” I say that’s bull. How can a $7 million request be unprecedented when there was a higher funding request made years before and instead the Council flat-funded the BOE one more time?
Ghost positions? The ghost part reminds me of the Remington/Remgrit property; which reminded me of the Budget chairman; who reminded me of Sal DiNardo and his River Street property rented by the Police department Narcotics and Vice (makes me think of Lennie Greenmaldi) Unit; which led me to line item: 53050 Property Rental/Lease, of the Police Department budget. Which finally led me to Councilwoman Lydia Martinez. I’m out of breath!
Let me explain. Line Item 53050 Property Rental/Lease of the Police Department budget is the where the money to pay for the rent or lease of property by the Police Department is recorded.
In 2011 the Mayor proposed an increase of about $28,000 and was increased from $134,120 to $160,000. I mentioned Lydia Martinez because the only two properties I’m aware the PD rents and leases are the DiNardo property on River Street and the East Side substation. If my mind serves me right, the East Side substation is located in a storefront that was used by Lydia Martinez as her Campaign Headquarters in the past. Lennie, am I correct? If I’m wrong I will apologize and correct my error. Let’s go to the River Street property. The place is a small, outdated, run-down building. We have read the CT Post articles regarding a proposal by Lt. Cueto of the Bridgeport Police Department to purchase a building in immaculate condition on Howard and Railroad Avenue. The City Council has blocked this great money-saving proposal time and time again. The building on Howard and Railroad can be purchased for $500,000. Renting and leasing for 4 years at $160,000 per year totals $640,000 and the City will still have to continue rentnig and leasing instead of becoming the owner and saving $640,000 for all the years to follow. Buying it this year can save $140,000 in the next 4 years. Who is doing the math? Even John Marshall Lee and Andy Fardy missed this one. As I stated several weeks ago, a 2.7 tax increase is still too low to cover the debt and expenses needed to run this City. Only when the math is done the way I do my math and sacred cows are sent to the slaughterhouse will we see City Budgets that make sense.
Joel,
Good to have you back. Fardy and I do great math. But first you have to connect the dots. And no one person or small group has the info it takes to do a thorough review, working on it part time. It takes a group of people, a plan and then a commitment to work the plan. We invited everybody to participate this year. We produced and launched two YouTube videos, still out there to educate and inform: Bridgeport Finances 101 and Bridgeport Finances 101A. Few responded.
We missed a lot apparently. But pointing out some things was enough to get the Council to work a little harder this year. Some credit needs to go to B&A. Ask them about the “pooper pumper.” Truth, stranger than fiction.
Cup of coffee, soon? Give me a call. When the adopted budget is finalized, then we need to see what is in or out, how many ghost positions and items are still present. Give us a hand, please.
Board of Education budget? Pension obligations and actuarial assumptions? Retiree healthcare liability? And where do the 800 active employees in excess of the 3523 general and educational employees listed in budget charts work (who participate in City healthcare plans)? With revaluation coming up next year to restate values at the five-year interval, October 1, 2013, focus will be on the Grand List again, and changes to it. So real estate owned, leased, used or looked at for City use is critical since as Mayor Finch keeps saying, we are a small city. Time will tell.
This is an excellent beginning by the Budget and Appropriations Committee, but it is only a beginning. Although the committee’s recommendations are indeed generally accepted, the Council as a whole could still vote to reinstate the Mayor’s budget.
Also, it is quite possible the Mayor will veto any budget that does not reflect his request for a 2.7 increase. That is in his power and he has been relentlessly touting his proposed budget.
See you at 6 p.m. Monday night.
According to a press release I received this afternoon from Elaine Ficarra in the Mayor’s Office, the 1.47 mil rate increase is a done deal. This action is being billed as a compromise.
BULLSH**
Finch wants you to eat it! The crap these Finch people want you to fall for is AMAZING.
It’s an old, old, old, like a Timpanelli and Testa con job. Old Timpenelli says “reduce the initial threat and the suckers will accept it. I don’t live in Bpt and that’s why, they are fools!”
I live in Bpt, don’t eat crap nor suck certain things: (I mean lobster tales at Testo’s–or maybe I do?)
Reject the complete proposed tax increase!!
See you suckers in Trumbull and Monroe.
Well, Finch and his robot Budget & Appropriation committee have done it again. They have screwed education once again. Cutting $2 million from the education budget is a sin. Fore 4 years Finch has been flat-funding the BOE with no increases.
Finch disbands the BOE illegally and gets to appoint a temporary BOE. Finch trumpets the fact he will be putting $7 million more into the education budget and then he and the idiots on the B &A cut education by $2 million. These people don’t give a damn about the kids in Bridgeport.
They have agreed not to fill 28 positions and will use attrition to get to those vacancies. What about all the ghost positions with a savings of $5 million? Well you just can’t cut the mayor’s slush fund, can you. Other than a small amount of police OT have any other departments been cut? None were listed in the release.
In the end with all being said the kids get screwed again. Finch, take your alleged concerns for the BOE and the kids and stick them where the sun don’t shine. Another lie.
Much like Rockin’ says, this is BULLSH**. This was the plan from the beginning; come in with a ridiculously high number and then “lower” it to what they really wanted; this way all sides win. Classic politics.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We live in a city where thousands of people have a hard time falling asleep at night because they are trying to choose between paying their cable or electric bill.
We live in a city where our citizens have to choose between a mortgage payment or buying groceries.
We live in a city where our taxpayers sometimes choose between paying for daycare or calling out of work because they can’t afford a baby sitter and they refuse to leave their children home alone after school out of fear for their safety.
We live in a city where its citizens can’t afford their current taxes, let alone any sort of an increase.
Tonight the city council is faced with a very important decision. They are faced with a decision that will either set the tone, which allows the taxpayers in Bridgeport to know they won’t have more debt piled on top of them, or due to a tax increase, their burden of debt will become greater.
A tax raise of any amount is unaffordable and only WE can stop it! If at all possible, please attend the City Council vote scheduled to take place tonight at the City Council Chambers, 45 Lyon Terrace, and let your voice be heard. Tell Mayor Finch and the City Council to vote NO to this unaffordable tax increase!
A public-speaking session will begin at 6:30pm and the vote will follow shortly after 7. Please tell your friends and family who may live in Bridgeport to visit www .StopTheTaxIncreases.com and sign the petition against this increase.
John Slater
Chairman, Bridgeport Republican Town Committee
*** Going high or countering by low-balling the price usually leaves you right about in the middle when it’s all said and done, no? *** IT’S ACADEMIC! ***