The City Council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee this week will review several department budgets including Public Facilities, Fire and Library. The full legislative body will vote on Mayor Bill Finch’s proposed spending plan the week of May 7. The mayor has proposed a 2.7 mil tax increase that includes $7 million more for education. A public hearing on the budget will take place April 26, 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 45 Lyon Terrace. See schedule and locations.
Tuesday, April 17 6:00 pm, Public Facilities, Wheeler Rooms
Wednesday, April 18 6:00 pm, Fire Department, Wheeler Rooms
Thursday, April 19 6:00 pm, Central Grants/Library, Wheeler Rooms
Friday, April 20 6:00 pm, City Clerk/Town Clerk, Wheeler Rooms
Saturday, April 21 10:00 am, Budget Overview, Hansen Education Building
Monday, April 23 6:00 pm, CAO/OPM, Wheeler Rooms
Wednesday, April 25 6:00 pm, Police Department, Wheeler Rooms
Thursday, April 26 6:00 pm, Public Hearing City/BOE, Council Chambers
Friday, April 27 6:00 pm, OPED – All Divisions, Wheeler Rooms
Saturday, April 28 10:00 am, Budget Overview, UB Bernhard Center
Monday, April 30 6:00 pm, Finance Dept all Divisions, Wheeler Rooms
Tuesday, May 1 6:00 pm, Capital Plan Discussion/Vote, Wheeler Rooms
Wednesday, May 2 6:00 pm, Registrar of Voters, Wheeler Rooms
Thursday, May 3 6:00 pm, Budget Overview/Committee Vote, Wheeler Rooms
Friday, May 4 6:30 pm, Budget Overview/Committee Vote, Wheeler Rooms
Saturday May 5 10:00 am, Budget Overview/Committee Vote, Legislative Services Office
Monday, May 7 (Spec Meet) 6:00 pm, Tentative Full-Council Vote–Gen Fund, City Council Chambers
Tuesday, May 8 (Spec Meet) 6:00 pm, Tentative Full-Council Vote–Gen Fund, City Council Chambers
Locations:
Hansen Education Building: Beardsley Zoo, 1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06610.
Legislative Services Office: City Hall Annex, 999 Broad Street, 2nd fl, Bridgeport, CT 06604.
Wheeler Rooms: City Hall, 45 Lyon Terrace 1st fl, Bridgeport, CT 06604.
City Council Chambers: City Hall, 45 Lyon Terrace 1st fl., Bridgeport, CT 06604.
UB Bernhard Center: 84 Iranistan Avenue 10th Fl., Bridgeport, CT 06604.
The Budget Schedule is explained above. The Housing numbers are just in and they make Bridgeport look good (in comparison).
SINGLE-FAMILY HOME PRICES IN THE NORTHEAST
February 2012
Location | Avg. Price Per Sq. Ft | Change from Feb. 2011
Connecticut
Fairfield County | $260 | down 16.6%
City of Bridgeport | $86 | down 17.3%
City of New Haven | $88 | down 31.2%
City of Hartford | $72 | down 10.1%
Westport | $311 | down 30.3%
Greenwich | $481 | down 34.8%
Darien | $354 | down 19.3%
New Canaan | $371 | down 10.1%
Branford | $126 | down 41.4%
Glastonbury | $161 | down 19.1%
Simsbury | $129 | down 13.2%
“Reading between the lines” is what blogging is all about–but never disregard the facts.
“Good news” from Local Eyes:
For whom, LE??? For the owner of a single-family home who saw the average price of his/her home drop again in the last 12 months? And is now facing a 7% tax increase because the Mayor can talk about “cutting,” “inefficiencies” and “budget transparency” but still has enough “slush” from ghost positions and line items he can do education and pension without any tax increase???
The only beneficiary of your “good news” is someone from outside the City buying into our high tax rate and hoping we are at the bottom of the housing cycle already, assuming economic development will finally come to Bridgeport. Is that the person for the good news? The current owner, faced with a fixed income, already living frugally, sees the 7% increase, the request to “share the suffering” and wonders what planet the Mayor is from. Where is the “good news?” What will produce some good news? Perhaps if the Council turns the budget back to the Mayor until he gives them the June 2011 report that will show where funds were actually spent? And then ask Tom Sherwood to remove all vacant positions from the request? And a few more ideas like that … Time will tell.
Time has told. If you miss the train, don’t blame me. www .twitter.com/door24
Same people blogging to each other on here over and over.
Gomes is still standing at the Annex, why don’t y’all join him in protest.
*** How about you lead by example, no? ***
Tomorrow at 8:30pm … David Walker will discuss the tax increase the Bridgeport Mayor proposed. He will appear on the live TV program ‘Bridgeport Now’ on ch 88, also netcast on soundviewtv.org. Mr. Walker is the former United States Comptroller General and is founder and CEO of the Comeback America Initiative.
*** Right to the wire budget schedule, no? Let’s see what the B&A Committee comes up with on reducing the proposed 2.7 mil tax increase. Or will it end up an “attempted” amendment-riddled budget with very little meaningful change, thus bringing back the “old rubber stamp” vote? Or should the B&A and entire Council wash their political hands and take a vote of “no confidence” on the Mayor’s proposed city budget and return it to be restructured, “maybe?” Bottom line, this budget and final “individual” city council vote concerning it, will identify who is their “own person” and really backs their district constituency, or maybe who are serving two masters thus a rubber-stamp vote! Then there are those who don’t have a clue and feel pressured and handcuffed to the machine thus leaving a few who simply don’t care and give up! In the end, maybe they’ll get wise and set money aside for an “experienced independant” legal firm to do next year’s budget with the B&A overseeing and voting on the process! (NEEDED) Zombie ideas for B&A budget’s schedule at City Hall! *** HERE WE GO! ***
The B & A will have 16 meetings to discuss with various department heads. They will ask some off-the-wall questions and ultimately pass this budget with little or no change.
ATTENDED THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT TO DELIVER THIS MESSAGE and provide copies of it to all CC members. Also Tim Loh and Keila Torres Occasio, who were there.
Andy Fardy and I released our second YouTube today called Bridgeport Finances 101A. Your comments please.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING OUTLINE APRIL 16, 2012
The annual budget hearings have started and there is anger at the 7% increase and the failure of City leadership to perform real cuts before laying the work on you.
You know the leadership has removed a check and balance from our City while telling the public for years there is an internal control staff in budget narratives. The work you have given to the internal auditor nine years ago by ordinance is incomplete.
The public auditor provides an annual audit but you fail to hold a public meeting to look at the last year, the revenues, the expenses and the increase in liabilities or assets. By not sharing the results you leave yourself in a difficult position when it comes to responding to a budget for a new year.
A large problem is the information you are given by the City. You know Chapter 9, Section 7 of the Charter directs the Mayor to give you and the public a Monthly revenue, expense and variance report twelve months of the year. Some of you remember in 2011 you received three reports. They covered only eleven months. You do not complain. You do not request a change. Are you waiting for Superman or Wonder Woman? You have the power in that same section to request more than you are getting. You have funds in your budget every year to secure assistance. And you are placed on a tight timeline of five or six weeks while other Councils, like New Haven, take three months to review and deliberate. Twenty people are overtaxed and rushed.
Talk to the Charter Revision Committee. Share your plight. They cannot change the Charter unless they know about your problems and concerns.
Most importantly you know this budget contains “ghost positions” and “ghost line items” where the money you approve for expenditure is never spent in a given line item. You do not see where it is spent because neither you nor the public receives a June monthly report. In New Haven, Hartford and Stamford, the legislative body receives that last month budget report. It shows up on the Internet on the City web site. Why do you stay in the dark and leave the public in the dark as well?
• Hand the budget back to Tom Sherwood and the Mayor to cut those phony line items.
• Ask Tom Sherwood and the Mayor for the June reports for 2008-11.
• Look for information and reports on police overtime, on Pension Plan A, and whatever else troubles you. Exercise your legislative power.
• Ask the Mayor to publicly share the Management Letters from the external auditor and the City responses for 2008-2011. I have sought these through FOI twice. The City Attorney has the request. Blum Shapiro has what is needed.
Those of you with conflicts of interest, help the public see the financial truth in the decreasing strength of our City. Unnecessary taxes are not an investment. The $7 Million for education can be found and funded by eliminating the “ghost expenses.” You are the final watchdog, as other check and balance mechanisms are killed or frustrated. Taxpayers and voters are watching you. Time will tell.