Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti presented a $115,492,006 budget request for 2013 – 2014 Thursday (March 21) that he said would reduce property taxes by .1 mill.
In a speech dotted with digs at the state and federal governments, Lauretti said that Shelton has “broken from the norm,” with city spending to remain flat overall despite a proposed $1.6 million hike in school spending.
Though the Board of Education had requested about $1.4 million more than the figure Lauretti proposed, school officials said after the speech that the mayor’s number was workable due mostly to cost savings the district will see from converting to a fleet of city-owned, propane-fueled buses.
By The Numbers
The city’s current budget totals $115,555,564. Lauretti proposed a 2013 – 2014 spending plan of $115,492,006, which represents a decrease in spending of $63,558, or 0.1 percent.
Under Lauretti’s proposal the city’s property tax rate would go from 22.4 mills to 22.3 mills, a decrease of 0.4 percent.
The stable mill rate “will create more economic opportunities,” he said.
Click the play button above to see the mayor’s entire speech.
“Over the years, the key to our success has been to achieve greater efficiencies in delivering of services and holding the line on spending,” Lauretti said. “The result is no reduction of services and tax stability.”
The budget will now be reviewed by the Board of Apportionment Taxation, with the final say on the numbers up to the city’s Aldermen.
Tax board Chairman Ken Olin said after Lauretti’s presentation that his board would meet Monday (March 25) to set up a schedule of budget workshops.
Aldermanic President John Anglace called Lauretti’s proposal “a very positive step in the right direction.”
“Any time you’re not raising people’s taxes, that builds confidence and investment,” Anglace said.
He said the tax board and Aldermen may make some adjustments, but didn’t expect significant revisions.
“There are some things you’ll tweak here and there, but they’re not going to be major,” he said.
Schools
The biggest question mark surrounding the budget going into Thursday’s presentation was how much Lauretti would be willing to request for the city’s schools.
The Board of Education requested funding for 2013 – 2014 of $66,836,326, an increase of more than $3 million from the $63,736,627 Aldermen gave them for the current year.
Lauretti on Thursday proposed $65,400,000 for the school district.
While that number is about $1.4 million shy of the school board’s request, school officials said the Board of Education would be saving about $1 million due to the city buying a fleet of propane-fueled school buses.
Click here to read more about the bus purchase.
“We’re in the right general ballpark,” Board of Education Chairman Mark Holden said. “Hopefully we’ll come up with something we can work with.”
“We’re probably about $400,000 to $500,000 short of what we’re looking for,” Schools Superintendent Freeman Burr said. “We’ll continue to work with the mayor, and (the Board of Apportionment and) Taxation, and the Aldermen and see where we are in a couple months.”
Anglace said Aldermen have a “good working relationship” with school officials.
After a pause, he added: “They know we’re not giving the store away.”
The mayor said the city would invest in school security in the coming year.
Elsewhere in the budget, he said Shelton will invest in roads, open space purchases, public works equipment, and improvements to parks and walking trails.
“There are reasons why private investors continue to show interest in Shelton,” Lauretti said. “Quality of life and tax stability are items that residents and our corporate partners can count on.”
