by | Jan 6, 2011 9:20 am | Comments (50)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
CAO Smuts (r) lays it down; Alderman Goldson (l) picks it up.
With the creation of a new stormwater authority, a city worker will check out your house via satellite — to see how big a bill you should receive.
by | Jan 3, 2011 6:00 pm | Comments (47)
cuny.edu, Paul Bass Photos
Nancy Reagan (left), John DeStefano: 1 word, 2 approaches.
Other cities have laid off over 100 cops. Or stopped paying pensions. Or stopped shoveling snow. Or filed for bankruptcy. New Haven’s mayor declared that New Haven can avoid those fates in 2011 by avoiding a simple two-letter word.
by | Nov 24, 2010 8:56 am | Comments (53)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
(Updated) Without directly saying the words, Mayor John DeStefano set the stage for a showdown with city unions in a Thanksgiving Week talking-turkey presentation to city aldermen about New Haven’s long-range budget morass.
by | Nov 16, 2010 8:29 am | Comments (42)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Justin Elicker, at right, with fellow East Rock Alderman Matt Smith.
Representatives of an Ohio investment firm that stands to make millions off an expensive up-front-cash scheme with the city are making the rounds of city aldermen, trying to get them on board with the plan. East Rock Alderman Justin Elicker said no — and is working to kill the deal once and for all.
Continue reading ‘Elicker: Monetization Is Dead. Give It Up’
by | Nov 15, 2010 12:06 pm | Comments (25)
Melissa Bailey Photo
Mayor John DeStefano is working on a Thanksgiving week surprise. The menu features tough talk about the city’s fiscal future.
by | Oct 26, 2010 11:05 am | Comments (12)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
The alderman to the tax assessor: New Haveners should have the same burden of proof you have when it comes to settling their bills. The assessor to the alderman: You’re comparing apples and oranges.
by | Sep 2, 2010 1:10 pm | Comments (49)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
FRAC’s Martin O’Connor and Christine Bishop.
One vision of 2015: New Haven government is $82 million in the red. A second vision: New Haven has millions to spare, thanks to a modernized fire department, less police overtime, and increased fees for baseball in the park.
by | Sep 2, 2010 7:17 am | Comments (50)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Charges and countercharges flew for a second day over a plan to increase the city’s “living wage,” as the mayor called the proposal unaffordable. Proponents’ response: City Hall’s making up scare stories to avoid paying low-wage workers enough to avoid living in poverty.
by | Aug 27, 2010 10:53 am | Comments (24)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Jorge Perez had a burrito for lunch at Zinc the other day. Also on the menu: the not-yet-dead idea of selling 25 years worth of city parking revenues for a quick $50 million.
by | Aug 12, 2010 8:00 am | Comments (38)
Contributed Photo
After negotiations on a new contract hit an “impasse,” the school district and its custodians stopped talking and sent their dispute to a panel of arbitrators.
by | Jul 2, 2010 7:12 am | Comments (17)
Melissa Bailey Photo
As he looks ahead to the new fiscal year, Mayor John DeStefano said he has a choice: keep unionized custodial services and have 30 students per classroom, or privatize and shrink class size to 24.
by | Jun 25, 2010 12:17 pm | Comments (26)
Contributed Photo
In May, Roland Lemar pushed City Hall to cut schools spending in order to keep taxes down. Thursday, he showed up at a rally to stop City Hall from cutting school spending.
He can explain.
Continue reading
‘Lemar Pushes For,
Against School Budget Cuts’
by | May 28, 2010 8:00 am | Comments (85)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Despite last-minute attempts to make more cuts, and an eleventh-hour insurgency that almost stopped the process dead in its tracks, the Board of Aldermen voted to approve the city’s new budget largely unchanged.
by | May 25, 2010 11:15 am | Comments (40)
Melissa Bailey Photo
“School to me is just boring,” Jordan Lampo told authorities. Without the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program — now on the budget chopping block — “I’d just be twiddling my thumbs.”
by | May 18, 2010 5:52 pm | Comments (73)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
After weeks of public meetings, the aldermanic Finance Committee agreed to slash $6 million from the mayor’s $476 million budget, but refused to make further cuts.
by | May 17, 2010 4:36 pm | Comments (68)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
No new cops. “Talented and Gifted” and summer athletic programs slashed. No more holiday tree on the Green or Fourth of July fireworks.
by | May 17, 2010 7:27 am | Comments (7)
Allan Appel Photo
“You’ve got our word: We’ll give back but he [the mayor] can’t keep throwing it out at the other end.”
by | May 13, 2010 8:03 am | Comments (18)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Two weeks after hundreds of New Haveners stormed City H all to decry a planned tax hike, Budget Director Larry Rusconi proposed a familiar idea: delay a property revaluation phase-in that would shift taxes from businesses to homeowners.
by | May 12, 2010 4:37 pm | Comments (35)
Melissa Bailey Photo
(Updated) A city union president heard a pitch from the mayor to rally the troops behind his proposed budget — but she decided to hold the phone.
Continue reading
‘Both Sides Appeal
To Unions In Budget Fight’
by | May 11, 2010 7:03 am | Comments (19)
Melissa Bailey File Photo
Superintendent of Schools Reggie Mayo announced on Monday night that the Board of Education is looking to trim $1.5 million from next year’s budget.
by | May 6, 2010 7:00 am | Comments (31)
Mayor John DeStefano turned down a chance to sign a citizens’ no-tax-hike petition, but then invited lawmakers to help him find ways to cut the city budget. Meanwhile, Board of Aldermen President Carl Goldfield took aim at a controversial parking meter “monetization” deal, parsing the legalese and asking whether it makes sense to plug a budget hole with what’s basically a 7.65 percent mortgage that gives potential control of city assets to a private company.
by | May 5, 2010 7:20 am | Comments (37)
Thomas MacMillan Photo
As the mayor prepared for a rare appearance at an aldermanic budget meeting, aldermen gathered on the steps of City Hall to issue a “no tax hike” call.
by | Apr 29, 2010 7:41 am | Comments (73)
Jeffrey Kerekes speaks with public school parent Cindy Vieira.
One woman wept. She said she can’t afford to pay more taxes. Another shouted and slammed the microphone on the table. And everyone cheered, even the people who had shown up to support the proposed budget.
by | Apr 28, 2010 7:29 am | Comments (28)
A faceoff is brewing tonight between parents organized by school officials to rally for public education, and tax-weary watchdogs looking to cut the city budget.
Continue reading ‘School Reform Rescue? Or “Fearmongering”?’
by | Apr 26, 2010 6:47 am | Comments (14)
Thomas MacMillan Photos
After a year of negotiations, the city has unveiled final details of a controversial parking deal on which Mayor John DeStefano’s proposed new $476 million city budget hinges.