The new budget document is expected out today. You can read coverage about the Mayor’s presentation last night at the NHI and NHR. Here are stories worth reading.
NPR: What Happens When City Hall Goes Bankrupt?
NHI: Mayor Proposes $466M Budget
NHR: Mayor proposes 4.6% boost in spending
NHI: Mayor’s Office Upgrades
NHI: Budget Watchdogs Release Plan
NHI: Stetson Library (Funding Restored, but interesting debate)
NHI: Tweed Peace Plan
Being an alderperson is a tough job and requires a lot of time, not just for full BOA meetings, but for committee meetings, events, and responding to people in their wards. Some of them got 100% attendance at full BOA meetings in 2007. That is quite an accomplishment - thanks and congrats. Below is a table of the final attendance. Click here for the full spread sheet. How did your alderperson do? Happy, not happy? Contact them and let them know.
2007 Attendance (Listed by Ward)
We believe:
New Haven CAN be greater! New Haven CAN do better! IF
NH Can cut the budget
NH Can be fiscally responsible
NH Can root out wasted dollars
NH Can reign in unnecessary spending and dubious programs
New Haven Citizens Action Network (New Haven CAN) is a citizens action group comprised of New Haven taxpayers concerned about rising taxes and lack of fiscal responsibility in City government.
These New Haven taxpayers decided to form the New Haven Citizens Action Network (New Haven CAN) to raise public awareness of these issues. Every citizen of New Haven is encouraged to join and help make New Haven an affordable City in which to live.
This issue directly affects property owners AND tenants. While property owners see a direct impact on their costs, renters pay these same taxes as a portion of rent. With this huge increase landlords are forced to raise rents significantly. You can find out more about NH CAN at our website: www.nhcan.org
Last night the New Haven Board of Aldermen held a Special Budget Meeting and approved the budget for the 2007-08 fiscal year. The passage of the budget translates as higher spending and a significant escalation of taxes. Those increases will be reflected in the first half of your tax bill due in July 2007. You can see the results of roll call votes here: http://www.nhcan.org/boa-accountability-project/
Analysis:
It was encouraging to listen to the discussion about the budget and its potential to be trimmed. However, in the end, very little was cut and the results are major tax and spending increases for city residents and property owners.
There is a glimmer of hope with an amendment proposed by Finance Chair and major presenter Alderman Sergio Rodriguez requesting the Mayor report back to the BOA by September 1st on a plan to increase fiscal responsibility through performance based budgeting and changes in employee benefit plans. However, we feel the Finance Committee efforts ended as an appeasement to all of the citizens who hoped for substantial budget reductions. Ironically, those who voted for this favorable amendment, including Alderperson Rodriguez, also voted against very modest proposals to cut about $4MM from the budget.
These cuts would not have affected any services or cut any staff since the proposal by Alderman Jorge Perez simply eliminated funding for positions that must, for technical and practical reasons, remain unfilled.
Yet the majority of the Board voted this amendment down. Some offered explanations — Alderman Mattison objected to the lack of sufficient notice ( NH CAN knew about these positions by attending workshops and public hearings). Alderman Roland Lamar felt it would be “irresponsible” of him to cut these minuscule amounts without knowing the full impact on the performance of these departments (If these positions are not filled and won’t be how can performance be impacted?). We find this rationale lacking and insufficiently based on facts.
It was encouraging to hear Alderman Robert Lee inject some realism into the discussion by declaring that while this amendment did not propose staff reductions, the NH BOA should be prepared for these too. He aptly noted that private industry eliminates jobs all the time, especially in difficult times.
In the final votes amendments aimed at trimming the budget failed. The budget was approved almost exactly as proposed by Mayor John DeStefano and his Department Heads.
Out of almost three-quarters of a BILLION dollars in the City’s expenditures in the General Fund ($445 MM), the Special Fund ($134MM) and the Capital Fund ($137MM), our elected Aldermen could not find even $4MM to cut from programs and from personnel not yet hired. New Haven taxpayers will now face higher tax bills in June. Spending has has now reached about $717MM or approximately $5,700 PER PERSON!
We specifically commend those Alderpersons who voted against the budget, against increasing your taxes: Smart, Colon, Jackson-Brooks, and Lee. Thank you for refusing to be a rubberstamp for overspending. Thank you for placing your responsibilities to the taxpayers ahead of personal loyalties and fear of political retribution.
In addition to the above four Alders, we thank Alderpersons Perez, Paolillo, James, Lee, Atunes, Chen and Castro for voting for the budget cutting amendments.
Be sure to attend the New Haven BOA meeting on the Budget for fiscal year 2007-2008 on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 @ 6pm on the second floor of city hall.
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