by | Dec 12, 2013 12:50 pm | Comments (3)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
In the wake of a prank call that shut the city down and then socked it with a huge policing bill, Chief Dean Esserman assured aldermen that he’s working to rein in overtime spending and plans to finish the year on budget.
Continue reading ‘Gunman Hoax Cost City Over $30K In Overtime’
by | Oct 8, 2013 8:15 am | Comments (12)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
The city refinanced $16 million in bonds and came up with an extra $4.1 million, which might start to close a budget hole.
by | Sep 5, 2013 4:27 pm | Comments (21)
Third of four parts on where mayoral candidates stand on major issues.
Dick Lee squeezed past John W. Murphy and Kermit Carolina in the latest preference poll for mayor — among the four Democratic mayoral candidates currently seeking to win his old job. The candidates offered their vision for how best to manage city government, as well as some ideas for how to get there.
by | Aug 29, 2013 1:33 pm | Comments (2)
The city has refinanced $16 million in bonds to grab a lower interest rate.
by | Aug 27, 2013 1:38 pm | Comments (31)
Thomas MacMillan Photos
Harp, Fernandez.
Henry Fernandez suggested a way to defuse New Haven’s pension ticking “time bomb”: convince the city, the state, and government workers to cooperate on a rescue plan. Toni Harp called Fernandez’s plan “sophomoric”; even if it made sense, she argued, he couldn’t pull it off.
Continue reading ‘Fernandez, Harp Differ On Proposed Pension Fix’
by | Aug 23, 2013 3:00 pm | Comments (32)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Kottage.
Fire union President Jimmy Kottage (pictured) arrived Friday morning at the steps of City Hall with reinforcements in his fight against a change in lieutenant staffing — black and Latino firefighters who back him.
Chief Administrative Officer Rob Smuts showed up with reinforcements of his own — eye-popping statistics on a list of the top overtime earners in the department.
by | Aug 20, 2013 8:23 am | Comments (16)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Clerkin reports to aldermen Monday night.
As New Haven’s bond rating falls, Budget Director Joe Clerkin announced a new sign of trouble: The city will likely empty out its “rainy day fund” for the first time since the early ‘90s.
by | Aug 19, 2013 7:54 am | Comments (23)
Melissa Bailey Photo
Perez: Officials have “a lot of explaining” to do.
Citing a $10 million increase in the price tag to the city and a reluctance to pay West Haven $1 million in permit fees, aldermen are holding off on a key approval for an $85.5 million new home for New Haven’s science-themed magnet school.
by | Aug 14, 2013 1:47 pm | Comments (23)
THomas MacMIllan Photo
As the city’s bond ratings continue to drop, mayoral candidates Henry Fernandez, Toni Harp and Justin Elicker Wednesday said the city needs to change its financial course to avoid following Detroit off a cliff and into bankruptcy.
by | Jul 2, 2013 1:19 pm | Comments (4)
City managers will get a 2.5 percent pay increase, and a raise each of the next two years, thanks to a new five-year union contract approved Monday night.
by | Jun 4, 2013 8:17 am | Comments (8)
Less than a week after city lawmakers voted to raise taxes by 7.7 percent, they voted to lower them.
by | May 29, 2013 8:27 am | Comments (45)
With no debate and no amendments, the Board of Aldermen voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a budget that will raise taxes by 3 mills.
Continue reading ‘Aldermen OK $497M Budget; Taxes Rise 7.7%’
by | May 17, 2013 8:36 am | Comments (29)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Holmes failed to stop a schools spending increase.
After months scrutinizing the mayor’s proposed new city budget, aldermen voted to chip away at a planned property tax increase by leaving some city jobs vacant, reining in police overtime, and benefiting from some good news from Hartford.
by | May 16, 2013 2:21 pm | Comments (12)
Melissa Bailey Photos
Elicker and Clark.
Three million extra dollars for the schools: Too much for taxpayers to bear? Or a much-needed increase to save school reform?
by | May 8, 2013 12:13 pm | Comments (27)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Holmes weighs budget-cutting options Thursday night.
Don’t hire a “tweeter” for the police department. Keep a closer eye on overtime. Leave two bridge tender positions vacant.
by | May 2, 2013 5:08 pm | Comments (15)
Paul Bass Photo
Mayor John DeStefano’s computer runs on 10-year-old software. That’s part of a larger tech problem at City Hall.
by | Apr 25, 2013 4:02 pm | Comments (7)
City of New Haven
Violent crime has fallen to a 10-year low, but remains higher than in Bridgeport. Meanwhile, the parks department does the same work it did 13 years ago — with half the workers.
Those long-view snapshots, and others, emerged amid City Hall’s annual ritual of selling the mayor’s proposed budget.
by | Apr 3, 2013 12:19 pm | Comments (9)
Melissa Bailey Photo
Cherlyn Poindexter, Local 3144 president, calls for a time out.
After unions balked at a plan to save an estimated $2 million by switching health care companies, lawmakers sent the proposal back to committee.
Continue reading ‘Health Care Switch Delayed For New Review’
by | Mar 19, 2013 8:11 am | Comments (14)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Alderman Adam Marchand makes the case for change.
With union-affiliated aldermen diving into the nitty-gritty of health care costs, a change in insurance carriers could save the city a bundle — depending on answers to some key questions.
Continue reading ‘How To Make $2M In Health Costs Disappear’
by | Mar 14, 2013 2:02 pm | Comments (18)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Lawmakers face a sea of empty chairs at first budget hearing.
No one likes a tax increase. But almost no one showed up to testify about it.
by | Mar 1, 2013 9:08 am | Comments (42)
The mayor is proposing an increase in property taxes in the next fiscal year. Just how much taxes will rise is the subject of his new choose-your-own-adventure budget.
Except we don’t get to choose. The state does.
Continue reading ‘$503M Budget Offers 3 Paths To Higher Taxes’
by | Feb 7, 2013 9:15 am | Comments (5)
Paul Bass Photo
Officer S. D. Broder Jr. announces the vote tally.
New Haven’s police officers defied a last-minute appeal from their firefighting brethren and voted more than 2 – 1 Wednesday to approve a new five-year contract with the city.
Continue reading ‘Cops Ratify Contract; Cavaliere Makes The Sale’
by | Feb 6, 2013 7:13 pm | Comments (18)
Melissa Bailey Photos
State Rep. Dillon (left): Schools helped, health care whacked.
Chief of Staff Matteson: Ouch!
Despite a pledge otherwise, the budget plan Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s released Wednesday would blow a $10-$30 million hole in New Haven’s pocket, city officials calculated.
Continue reading ‘City Hall’s Math: Malloy’s Budget Socks Us’
by | Feb 6, 2013 1:33 pm | Comments (1)
New Haven’s grand list of taxable property grew by 1.5 percent last year, according to city figures released this week.
by | Feb 6, 2013 9:08 am | Comments (5)
Paul Bass Photo
Kottage (center) & his union endorsed the mayor in 2011. Now they’re at odds on a contract.
A vote on a new police contract sparked a spat between the heads of New Haven’s cop and fire unions — with one labor leader accusing the other of disloyalty.
Continue reading ‘Fire, Police Union Chiefs Spar Over Contracts’