Mayor Bill Finch has submitted an election-year budget to the City Council that holds the line on taxes in a spending plan of $532 million that promises no layoffs. Finch says a modest increase in the grand list of taxable property will hold the proposed mil rate at the current level of 42.19 despite total spending growth of $8.5 million including a few million more in education funding factoring in-kind services, according to a briefing release by the mayor’s office. Finch budget letter to council here.
Seeking a third four-year term, Finch could face challenges this election cycle from fellow Democrats 2011 primary opponent Mary-Jane Foster, former Mayor Joe Ganim, school board member Howard Gardner and multi-mayoral runner Charlie Coviello.
Mayoral spokesman Brett Broesder released highlights of the budget in lieu of the full-blown spending document that will be reviewed by the council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee stacked mostly by Finch political supporters selected by City Council President Tom McCarthy, a city employee who works at the pleasure of the mayor. Any changes to the budget will come at the committee level following a series of meetings with the department heads over the next month. So finer details of the budget will emerge once the full spending plan is released. The council will set the final mil rate early June for the budget year starting July 1.
Taxes have gone up modestly the last three years. In each of those years Finch’s budget has generally provided room for council members to cut to show some face with constituents. In an election year, the mayor’s not leaving anything to chance. Better to seize credit right out of the box, in the unlikely event the council messes with his budget.
In 2011, Finch’s last election year, he did not raise taxes.
CT Post scribe Linda Conner Lambeck has more on the education front:
After the transfer of so-called in-kind services such as crossing guards, garbage pick-up and snow removal, the municipal contribution to Bridgeport’s schools would be $1.5 million more than the city is paying now, according to city officials. No bottom line, however, was available from the mayor and his top staff, who spoke Monday with Hearst Connecticut Media.
Full story here.
Shocked! Shocked! I am just shocked! It’s a wonderment! No layoffs, no tax increase! Bridgeport getting better every day!
He also has a bridge to sell you. It’s on Congress Street. I guess he’s channeling PT Barnum and still believes there are suckers born every minute.
Here we go again. Mayor Finch wants to have the BBOE take over the expenses associated with crossing guards $885,000, snow removal $45,000, garbage collection $350,000 and workers compensation at $1,000,000. He also claims he will increase the city’s MBR contribution by $3.8 million. However he just increased their operating costs by $2.3 million. The BBOE pays over $30 million into the Internal Service Fund that covers BBOE employees’ health insurance and workers compensation costs. This supposed $1 million the city claims they have been paying is a complete lie.
On the CSDE website, in 2012/2013 the City of Bridgeport only contributed 21.40% of the MBR. The lowest percentage in CT.
Mayor Finch illegally underfunded the city’s contribution to the MBR as follows:
2012/2013 $1.1 million
2013/2014 $1.1 + $2.2 = $3.3 million
2014/2015 $1.1 + $2.2 + $2.1(projected) = $5.4 million
2015/2016 $1.1 + $2.2 + $2.1(projected) + ? = $5.4 million+
Under CT state statute, each year he underfunds the MBR, he is allowed to reduce the city’s contribution by the exact same amount the following year. In-kind services are not counted towards the MBR. That is why he wants to provide the service and not the cash contribution. This creates a domino effect year after year.
In 2012/2013 he underfunded the MBR by $1.1 million, therefore he is allowed to underfund the MBR by $1.1 million in 2013/2014. That is a loss of $2.2 million.
In 2013/2014 he underfunded the MBR by another $2.2 million, therefore he was allowed to underfund the MBR by $2.2 million in 2014/2015. That now totals a loss of $7.7 million.
In 2014/2015 he is projected to underfund the MBR by $2.1 million, therefore he will now be allowed to underfund the MBR by $2.1 in 2015/2016. That now totals $15.2 million that Mayor Finch has underfunded the MBR from July 1, 2012–June 30, 2016.
Mayor Grinch and his immoral and unethical administration has stolen over $15 million from 22,000 impoverished urban students while promoting charter schools which will siphon away an additional $26 million over the next five years. Meanwhile he submitted a letter to the CSDE that the City of Bridgeport was willing to contribute up to $500,000 in lease costs over the first five years for Great Oaks Charter School.
According to Malloy’s proposed Budget, the ECS allocation will remain flat-funded at $178,900,000, and the BBOE is requesting $62,626,718 from Mayor Grinch. Not going to happen.
What is MBR – ECS – CSDE?
TYVM = thank you very much.
MBR = Minimum Budget Requirement. It is the minimum that must be spent on a local public school system, and only includes the contribution made by the state and the local municipality. Federal Grants and competitive grants are not included.
ECS = Education Cost Sharing. The state is required to contribute funds to local public schools each year. In essence, it puts in state funds to make up for what a municipality is unable to contribute.
CSDE = Connecticut State Department of Education. This is the agency charged with overseeing all public schools in CT.
Looking at the bright side, once every four years we hold the line on taxes and we get our roads paved.
Thank you Mayor Finch for holding the line on taxes, so many people on this blog have attacked you for increasing their property taxes in the past seven years, and it’s not fair to you, after all you pay taxes too!
When you increased taxes on good people like John Stafstrom who’s the Bonding council for the City, back in 2008 revaluation, and who lives in the Brooklawn area, and his neighbors by +18% to +22%, it hurts everyone.
Oh shit! John Stafstrom had a decrease on his property taxes by -18%, I’m sorry! His neighbors were the only ones you flucked!
I’m sorry Mayor, I won’t let that happen again!
Then there’s the poor little people in Black Rock, who are sitting with a +30% to +45% tax increase from your administration while so many of your friends in BR taxes have gone down, it truly is a miracle on this Easter week you have found ways to hold the line on taxes.
Some people will find it hard to believe you did this as just an election-year ploy! But not me, you see Mayor I don’t think you’ll even win the primary, let alone the general election!
We in Black Rock are suffering the most these past eight years especially with property values plummeting the way they did since the 2008 revaluation, like poor Richard Deparle who owns so many three-family homes in Black Rock have been suffering with the rest of us, his high taxes will finally find some relief from your holding the line on taxes for 2015.
Oh SHIT! I did it again!
As you know Mayor, Rich is on the Board of Tax Assessment Appeals, I think he’s Chairmen, I believe, all of Rich Deparle’s three-family rentals in Black Rock went down in taxes, anywhere from -10% to -14% while his next-door neighbors went up to cover his gain, sorry about that Mayor Finch.
I’m sorry Mayor Bill, I have to pick someone other than your close friends. Hey! Mayor, do you still buy cars from Rich?
Does Richard Deparle actually live in Bpt and if so did his actual home tax go down?
It reminds me of in Paris, Pigale area, a whore would “go down” for ₣20.
You know these Bridgeport Political Princes give me a warm feeling for Paris, nice girls.
**OFF TOPIC** The “person of interest in the Minnie Lincoln case, Marcus Jackson, who has now committed suicide, was said to work for “The City.” Does anyone know which City? Is it Bridgeport?
Bridgeport Police dispatcher.
Sad when anyone dies.
BUT
Hey McCarthy, there is another city job opening, you happy guy.
Don’t be fooled by this repeat of an election-year game. The test of true leadership in connection with fiscal responsibility and taxes is what happens in non-election years, especially the year after an election! For example, Bridgeport still has over $700 million in unfunded retiree health obligations. The related plans are unreasonable, unaffordable and unsustainable. They must be dramatically restructured in a manner that is fair to all parties, including current and future taxpayers.
Throughout history, the process by which the unsustainable becomes sustainable is called a revolution. That’s the kind of change that makes empires crumble and galaxies realign.
I encourage everyone to watch what happens in Chicago tonight. Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s former chief of staff has raised over $20 million in campaign funds in his PAC and outside PACs. The vast majority of his contributors are millionaires, billionaires, investors, the wealthy, etc. In fact, just thirteen individuals make up the majority of his contributions.
He closed the largest number of public schools in U.S. history. He closed 50 public schools in predominately minority neighborhoods claiming the schools were under enrolled, underperforming and too expensive to run. However, he now wants to open 22 charter schools predominantly in the neighborhoods where he closed true public schools. The vast majority of minorities are furious and backing “Chuy.”
His challenger for mayor is Jesus “Chuy” Garcia. A longtime average community activist who has served in a variety of elected political positions. He has raised slightly over $8 million.
This had become the most contested election in Chicago’s history. It is Chicago’s David vs. Goliath.
Thousands of union members, community members, parents and teachers are backing “Chuy.” He claims to have 6,000 volunteers on the ground today to get out the vote. He has been endorsed by Bernie Sanders, Jesse Jackson, Cesar Chavez’s son, etc.
Polls close at 7:00 p.m. I am really interested to see what happens.
So disappointed. Rahm Emanuel won re-election in Chicago tonight against his opponent Jesus “Chuy” Garcia 56% to 44%. Only 40% voter turnout.
The city charter says the mayor is to present the budget to the council no later than the first Tuesday in April. The only way to make a referral to the council is at a regular scheduled meeting.
The charter does not say by the first meeting following the first Tuesday nor does it say an abbreviated recap is acceptable. The mayor is late and in violation of the charter. The budget is not properly before the committee.
But I am sure the Ham Burglar a.k.a. Hamilton Berger will rule violating the charter is a mere technicality that can easily be overlooked.
I will say this much, such sloppiness and violations of the Charter did not occur under Joe Ganim.
You never said that while on the Council. In a world of trees, Bob Walsh is a petrified forest.
Easy ‘trivia’ question … what one-term president said, “Read my lips. No new taxes.”
*** Of course not, it’s an election year, no? ***