by | Mar 30, 2016 8:25 am | Comments (8)
Markeshia Ricks Photo
Controller Jones in the hot seat.
City Controller Daryl Jones asked the Board of Alders to open the city’s purse a little wider in the quest to attract someone to get the government’s information technology system into shape.
by | Mar 22, 2016 3:13 pm | Comments (8)
New Haven Mayor Toni Harp called on the state not to renege on its $15 million promise to New Haven this year in order to help solve a budget crisis. But if it does renege, she called on the state to give tools to fix the city’s own budget woes.
by | Mar 15, 2016 2:00 pm | Comments (6)
Markeshia Ricks
Kobasa: Continuing a quest.
Two schools of thoughts emerged Monday night from the first public hearing of the mayor’s proposed budget: Save new nurses and the librarians positions because they’re well needed. Or be very wary of a city budget that would spend all of the increased funds that the city is expecting from the state, which is about to slash $900 million from its own budget.
Continue reading ‘School Nurses Supported; State Reliance Questioned’
by | Feb 29, 2016 6:24 pm | Comments (5)
Paul Bass Photo
Harp announcing new budget proposal.
Mayor Toni Harp Monday released a proposed $525 million general fund budget for the coming fiscal year that boosts spending on libraries and school-based nurses while avoiding a tax increase.
by | Feb 24, 2016 1:20 pm | Comments (12)
Markeshia Ricks Photo
Harp at school board.
Under fire for pushing for raises for the school system’s paraprofessionals, Mayor Toni Harp again went to bat for workers whom she pointed out are mostly women and mostly women of color.
by | Feb 23, 2016 8:45 am | Comments (5)
Markeshia Ricks Photo
Joyner raises concerns at 4-hour board meeting.
The Board of Education voted to ask the city for a raise, but dropped some of its its specific reasons.
by | Jun 3, 2015 12:04 pm | Comments (1)
Stephanie Addenbrooke Photo
When lawmakers voted on New Haven’s new city budget, someone had reason to cheer: City Librarian Martha Brogan, whose team’s lobbying efforts — a mixture of social media and old-fashioned bring-out-supporters-in-person — led to the creation of four new full-time positions.
by | May 27, 2015 8:11 am | Comments (15)
Markeshia Ricks Photo
The mayor lobbied Walker, pictured, one on one.
For the first time in decades, New Haven’s legislative body voted to kill a new school, a plan to build a $45 million home for the Strong 21st Century Communications Magnet and Lab.
Continue reading ‘Final Budget Passed; Strong School Plan Killed’
by | May 22, 2015 3:01 pm | Comments (33)
Paul Bass Photo
As officials scurried behind closed doors to revive a plan to build a new $45 million home for Strong School, Susan Bonanno ventured into the current property’s “playground.”
by | May 28, 2014 7:59 am | Comments (39)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Alder Jackson-Brooks: Let’s be “proactive” on the next budget.
A roller-coaster budget season came to an end amid a last-minute flurry of failed amendment proposals, and some hints of a new beginning.
Continue reading ‘$508M Budget Passes; Future Ed Scrutiny Vowed’
by | May 22, 2014 3:27 pm | Comments (63)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Freshman Newhalllville/Prospect Hill Alder Michael Stratton (pictured) submitted this opinion piece to offer what he calls the under-reported and neglected true story about his budget fight this session.
Continue reading ‘Stratton: Here’s The Uncensored Budget Story’
by | May 15, 2014 12:18 pm | Comments (9)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Under a new budget amendment from Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison, New Haveners wouldn’t have to pay all their annual car tax at once. They could split it into two payments.
by | May 15, 2014 12:16 pm | Comments (19)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Alders and administration officials confer over the budget.
By eliminating some proposed new mayoral staff, factoring in new Yale building permits, and flat-funding the Board of Ed, alders managed to cut the mayor’s proposed tax increase by more than half.
by | May 12, 2014 8:12 am | Comments (18)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Alder Brackeen called for flat-funding the schools.
(News analysis) As a contentious budget season comes to a head, some fundamental questions have surfaced: Has the city been paying millions more than it’s required to for education? Could — and should — that money go toward reducing taxes or paying for other city services?
Continue reading ‘Budget Battle Sparks Long-Term Ed Questions’
by | May 2, 2014 3:02 pm | Comments (17)
Melissa Bailey Photo
Controller Jones: No conflict.
Morgan Stanley had a great idea for how New Haven could save money — by doing business with Morgan Stanley.
Continue reading ‘City Pays Morgan Stanley To Steer Itself Business’
by | May 2, 2014 8:28 am | Comments (16)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
When a 6‑year-old at Wexler-Grant School started having a bronchial spasm, school nurse Gloria Rosati-Culver was there to save her life — because it was a Thursday.
by | May 1, 2014 8:55 am | Comments (24)
A version of the meter, in Denver.
Ten new parking meters may soon appear downtown, not to collect change for cars parked on the street, but to help the people asking for change on the sidewalk.
Continue reading ‘Brother, Can You Spare A Dime—For The Meter?’
by | Apr 16, 2014 12:34 pm | Comments (10)
In a budget season in which school spending has taken center stage, Alder Michael Stratton is floating a new proposal to examine the Board of Ed budget more deeply.
Continue reading ‘Stratton Calls For Panel To Probe Schools Budget’
by | Apr 10, 2014 12:24 pm | Comments (30)
“Do you want to change your testimony about these numbers?” asked the trial lawyer.
No, replied the witness.
by | Apr 2, 2014 8:14 am | Comments (13)
(Updated with Stratton response) Mayor Toni Harp responded Tuesday to Alder Michael Stratton’s accusations that the city’s schools spending is “illegal.”
You’re wrong, she said. And don’t try to “balance our budget at the expense of our children.”
by | Apr 1, 2014 8:03 am | Comments (55)
After six hours of painstaking budget deliberations, an argument over adding new staff to the mayor’s office reached its rhetorical peak:
“You should be embarrassed!”
“No, you should be embarrassed!”
Continue reading ‘Amid Taunts, Harp Goes 3 For 7 On New Staffers’
by | Mar 31, 2014 4:09 pm | Comments (8)
(UPDATED: 4:15 p.m.) A trial lawyer who makes his living collecting workers compensation from cities found himself on the other side of the table — looking for a way New Haven can pay less than $9 million per year on employee injury claims.
by | Mar 28, 2014 6:18 pm | Comments (27)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
People’s Caucus budget mastermind, Alder Michael Stratton.
(Updated with city, schools response.) Slash the finance department in half. Cut $583,000 from city libraries. Take $40 million away from public schools. Cut taxes by 5 percent and create a “WPA” jobs program. And become more like Lowell, Mass.
by | Mar 27, 2014 6:56 am | Comments (56)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Alder Michael Stratton took his critique of the mayor’s proposed budget to a new level Wednesday. It’s not just a bad budget, he said; it’s against the law.
Continue reading ‘Stratton Demands Probe Of $40M In “Illegal” Board Of Ed Spending’
by | Mar 26, 2014 5:12 pm | Comments (10)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Controller Daryl Jones said the city’s computer technology is so “antiquated” that city workers sometimes can’t even open messages received from more newfangled email systems.