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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.
The end came in the form of a Tuesday evening vote by the Board of Alders, approving an amended city budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.
The $508 million budget increases property taxes by 1.8 percent. That’s down from the $511 million budget initially proposed by Mayor Toni Harp, which would have raised taxes by 3.8 percent.
The Board of Alders Finance Committee reduced the tax hike in part by flat-funding education spending, rather than increasing it by $1.5 million, as Mayor Harp had proposed. The committee also cut workers compensation and found savings in personnel, and it added $2 million in expected building fees.
The approved budget includes three new positions requested by the mayor: a bilingual receptionist, a grants director, and a head of a new small and minority business initiative. It includes a new leasing program to pay for capital projects like new public works trucks, and a new line of bonding credit to help the city with month-to-month cash flow. Alders approved an amendment strictly limiting cash-flow borrowing to demonstrated need.
The new budget also includes an option to pay your annual car taxes in two installments rather than all at once.
Tuesday’s budget approval comprised a series of votes on spending and revenue plans and capital budgets. All items passed nearly unanimously. Newhallville/Prospect Hill Alder Michael Stratton was a holdout, joined in opposition on some votes by East Rock Alder Anna Festa. A seven-member “People’s Caucus” that formed at the beginning of this term ended up not materializing as an opposition bloc.
Stratton, who has emerged as a passionate advocate of budget reform, put forward a series of sweeping amendments, including cutting $112 million from education spending. All of his proposals failed. But his quest to start looking more closely in the future at how the Board of Education spends its money won adherents.
Finance Committee Chair Andrea Jackson-Brooks said that the approved budget strikes the “delicate balance” between not overburdening taxpayers and “meeting the city’s fiscal needs.”
“It is my hope that we can proactively move ahead together so that we can begin to address long-term budgeting issues and minimize budget growth without endangering loss of services to our city residents,” Jackson-Brooks said.
After the voting, Jackson-Brooks said that she’d like to see more dialogue between the Board of Ed and the Board of Alders in the coming year.
“I’d like people to step up as the year goes on” with “a little more participation,” Jackson-Brooks said.
“I think we need to help people to learn how the budget works,” said Board of Alders President Jorge Perez.
At a May 14 meeting of the Finance Committee, President Perez promised to consider a request by Stratton to form a task force to look into education funding.
“The good news is we’ve clarified the major budget issues and opportunities,” said Alder Stratton. He said he plans to continue pushing for deep cuts to education. “I think we should use this time now to do something.”
Amendments Nixed
On the floor Tuesday night, Stratton (pictured) proposed five amendments to the general fund.
Stop Pension Payments: The first would have deleted several line items entirely, including pension and employee benefits payments. Stratton said the charter requires all city spending to be allocated by department, and that it’s there for illegal to have line items that include spending on multiple departments lumped together.
Hill Alder Dolores Colon pointed out that the city is required by union contracts to make certain payments, the elimination of which would lead to lawsuits.
Raise Taxes To Pay For Youth Programs: Stratton then proposed increasing taxes by 0.5 mills in order to spend $3 million more on youth services, including summer jobs for every young person who wants one.
East Rock Alder Jessica Holmes said it would be irresponsible to approve a tax increase for “a nice idea” without details on how Stratton’s youth initiatives would work.
Raise Taxes To Pay For Cops: Stratton then proposed increasing taxes by 0.5 mills to give another $3 million to the police department so it could “reach universal community policing.”
The money would fund an incentive program to keep cops from retiring and assign three walking cops assigned to each ward.
Westville Alder Adam Marchand said the Board of Alders, as the “stewards” of city finances, couldn’t support last-minute proposals to increase taxes.
“If this crime wave continues it will have a much greater impact than 0.5 mills” in increased taxes, Stratton said.
Cut $6M From Education: Stratton proposed cutting $6 million from education spending. He said the Board of Ed should eliminate a “slush fund” of that size, called a “contingency fund.”
East Shore Alder Al Paolillo pointed out that the money in question is under “special funds” — grant money — and thus “not something we’re in a position to cut.”
Cut $112M From Education: Finally, when his $6 million cut was rejected, Stratton tried again, this time proposing a $112 million cut.
“I know this is a shocking amendment,” Stratton said. “I’m shocked to make this amendment.” He said he was shocked to learn this year that New Haven is funding education at a rate far higher than any other town in Connecticut, that if you factor in health care and pension payments for teachers, the city is paying some $112 million over the state’s minimum budget requirement for education spending.
If the city cut that $112 million, it could implement a comprehensive youth program with mentoring, sports, and after-school activities, and pay for more police, and still have $80 million left over for a tax cut.
“This amendment would be a travesty,” said Upper Westville Alder Darryl Brackeen. It would “devastate the city.”
Alder Paolillo said the cut would amount to giving back millions and millions of Educational Cost Sharing dollars from the state.
All of Stratton’s proposed general fund amendments failed.
He also proposed amendments to the capital fund, including eliminating a $620,000 subsidy to Tweed Airport. The airport is used only by the suburbs and by Yale University, he said. “If Yale wants an airport, Yale will pay for an airport.”
Alder Holmes said that the city has an obligation to pay the subsidy, due to existing investment by the Federal Aviation Administration. The feds could sue New Haven if it doesn’t pay.
After the voting, Board of Ed COO Will Clark said he was “very glad to see the vast majority of alders with us in the fight for school reform.”
“I think it’s important that alders affirmed the historic relationship with us,” Harries said.
Schools Superintendent Garth Harries said the Board of Alders vote to flat-fund education means the Board of Ed still has a budget gap of about $4.5 million to make up, which will require some very difficult decisions.