The City Council Monday night by an 18-2 vote approved the no-tax-increase budget proposed by Mayor Bill Finch in a municipal election year. Councilors Enrique Torres and Bob Halstead voted against the budget.
The Budget and Appropriations Committee last Friday made some minor adjustments to the mayor’s $532 million spending plan adding $1 million for nurses and reading and math interventionists in every school.
What occurs on the committee level is generally a done deal when it comes to the budget.
The budget committee added $30,000 for security and basic maintenance for the historic Poli-Majestic Theaters, a long-closed city asset Downtown; $10,000 for two copiers in the Purchasing and City Clerk offices; $808,261 to the Board of Education, following school chief Fran Rabinowitz’s request to put a nurse in every school as well as $197,208 to add 27 interventionists on a per diem basis.
To offset the increase, decreases came from the Health Benefit account for retirees; Police Administration fringe benefits for money budgeted on vacant positions; and Debt Service account for finance charges and fees for potential borrowing.
The budget committee also approved $200,000 for a municipal ID card program for undocumented immigrants, modeled after New Haven, projecting the program expense offset by card/fee revenues.
It also moved $103,930 from the Anti Blight Department–that had maintained its own revenues–to the general fund.
Just so I understand. Bob Halstead a Ganim supporter and Rick Torres would have preferred a tax increase. Bravo. Poorly played.
I voted no to make a statement the system needs reform. Nothing personal or political. We are not equipped nor do we have the amount of time needed to determine the City budget. This is a half billion dollar corporation. Every year the Council basically approves what it is given.
I assume, Steve, their votes were objections to the budget process given it is not open, accountable or transparent.
Or Steve, maybe they felt if the council could find a million for education then they could have found more.
Or maybe they felt if Sherwood could find a million for education then maybe they could have found a million for the taxpayers.
Or maybe they felt they were just sick and tired of being lied to by Finch and Wood and Nunn and Sherwood.
Or maybe it was politics pure and simple. What it’s OK for Finch to play politics with the budget but how dare a lowly council member?
Or maybe a no tax increase would not help the anti-Finch crew.
Or maybe if the budget were studied line by line the reality would be there is room for an actual tax reduction.
Jennifer Buchanan’s understanding of municipal finance has been underestimated. I hope her tax cut idea becomes reality.
The City got a free pass this time around because they know revaluation with provide the revenue increase they need to raise their salaries soon enough. The bonus is they get to shirk responsibility.
These guys insult the intelligence of the voters as a normal method of operation. We know what is coming and we are looking for ways to FSBO because we cannot afford realtor fees either.
Local Eyes,
A donation to the city of Bridgeport is as tax deductible as the taxes residents pay. So please pony up or shut up because you are not a stakeholder in this debate.
I’m a stakeholder, too. Just because you pay taxes doesn’t mean you’re adding value to Bridgeport.
And folks, where has the great Ganim been in this budget debate? Offering generalities with no specificity. Just like Joe went after Mary Moran way back when. Where’s the beef, Joe???
People have to understand, no tax increase this year simply means there will be a larger tax increase next year or in years to come. Why? Because there is nothing substantial that has occurred in the tax base that leads me to believe this no tax increase is the result of budget strategy. In some ways it is better to have a tax increase with smaller increments, than to be lied to and then have a monumental increase every 4-5 years. And my thinking is Bridgeport is actually in a deeper hole than what is actually said. But this news is not released because it would frighten developers and business. I also am not sure how much any administration can fix this issue given how deep in the hole we probably are and any REAL strategy that gets us out of this mess for any administration would be ‘unpopular’ and will probably not get any mayor a second term.
I also want to add these high taxes prevent many homeowners from adding value to their homes. This is less money to paint their homes, fix the roof, etc. And with families on tighter and tighter budgets, houses become dilapidated, but then homeowners are fined and punished by the city housing blight department. Look at all the houses on the North End. The North End used to be gorgeous, now the houses are falling apart because people have no money to fix them, the money is all going to taxes.
LE,
Just because you don’t live in Bridgeport doesn’t mean you add any value to the city.
Oh wait! I guess it does!
Jimfox // May 11, 2014 at 10:46 pm
Positively, unequivocally, clearly, without causing doubt and confusion, there will be No New Taxes for the good people of Bassport (our new name) for the fiscal year 2015 – 2016 budget.
I’d like to thank the Mayor ahead of time for this kind and thoughtful gesture.
Bassport will likely find itself with more revenues than were shown to the City Council at budget time. What if the Legislature came through with $5M or $10M additional?
And of course there are always changes that pop up along the way. For instance last year the Council passed the Lighthouse budget with Full Time Earnings for 6 people set at close to $400,000 plus benefits worth another $100,000.
A monthly report for November showed this Line Item was to be modified for the balance of the year creating a variance of nearly $200,000. How and why did that happen? Well, perhaps they cut the four employees with the lowest compensation? That might have cumulatively added to the variance shown. Or maybe it was merely an error as too often happens in City reports such as the February monthly report where the Excel calculations look askew. Or, possibly the significant amount of grant income was able to pay for four positions in this current year. So maybe OPM switched them from the City budget to a Grants budget that is not shown to the public nor to the City Council. But if they did that why didn’t the Fringe Benefit Line Items decrease by around $60,000? The fringes did not drop one cent!!!
Curiosities can always be found in City fiscal records. For the newer Council member, it is beyond daunting, positively frustrating, so they listen to the “info managers” who don’t pay attention to the questions I raise, and we have a budget to vote on.
What happens when changes come from the State? What happens when the City makes budget changes that are not voted upon by the Council and no comment is made in Monthly Financial Report Footnotes? Do you really care? Time will tell.
From the CT Post:
“The second big change from Finch’s budget is an added $200,000 to launch a municipal identification card program, modeled after New Haven’s, to help undocumented immigrants.
It was a last-minute appeal from Hispanic and Latino council members.
Finch said he was pleased to back the IDs and that the idea has been discussed for a few years.
“I was not thinking about putting it in the budget,” said Councilman Jose Casco, D-136, head of the Latino Advocacy Foundation. “I was just trying to push it and push it and push it. This (budget) opportunity came.”
I wonder when the opportunity appeared? The timing is suspect considering there are some very very ugly rumors circulating regarding the Mayor’s conduct last week after the vote and they concern a couple of Latino Council Members who did not vote his way.
I am for a practical approach for those who are undocumented to secure the necessities of life without turning to behavior that will alienate neighbors with status.
It does not seem our representatives in Washington can craft anything pragmatically so let’s look at what Hartford and New Haven have done (a drum roll for the CT Post to run a special edition) followed by City Council public hearings so all sides are heard, and a simultaneous study of the expense New Haven and Hartford bear and how they meet it by issuing the card??
Is it going to cost $200,000 or is there another Friend of Bill, a lawyer often, who needs to earn some good change from the City and will turn in a report after November? Do we make ourselves look silly on purpose or is it merely a habit of Finch-Wood? And the balance of the unspent $200,000 will be deployed by Sherwood Forest next year without the slightest thank you. Taxpayers, how do you feel now? Services of value? Time will tell.
Ooooooooo. Tell us what you know, Cabana Boy. Did “push come to shove?” Could our Mayor, in this, an election year, really have such little self-control? Well, you know what they say, rumor is as good as truth around here.