With the election fast approaching, I feel it is necessary to provide the Ansonia taxpayers with another perspective to the Charter Revision questions that will be on the ballot.
There are basically 3 areas of change: (1) Section 3 – Wards and Section 5 – Election of Aldermen are tied together, (2) Section 8 – Powers of the Mayor, and (3) Sections 38 thru 43 – Board of Apportionment and Taxation & the Budget Process.
I will explain what I consider to be problems with these changes, however, be aware that the biggest problem is not what is contained in these changes, but what is no longer there.
Starting with the Wards & Alderman, the idea is to reduce both the number of Wards (from 7 to 3) and the number of Alderman (from 2 per Ward (total 14) to 3 per Ward (total 9)).
Although I have no great objection, the premise was savings on polling places at elections.
I agree there would be a savings, but it would be minimal.
It would also make it more difficult for some seniors to get to the polls, create longer lines, and compound the already difficult parking situation. The small savings is not worth the inconveniences.
As for the Alderman, it doesn’t really matter if it is 9 or 14. It is just tied to the Wards.
As for the Powers of the Mayor, I don’t know why all of a sudden we need to give him sole power for hiring and firing. Is this done in other city/towns? Does this power exist at the State or Federal levels?
Now we finally get to the main problem with these Charter Revisions, BOAT & the Budget.
The Board of Apportionment and Taxation is a non-political board, entrusted to set a budget and tax-rate, weighing the needs of City Services and ability to pay of the Taxpayers, without regard to any politics.
These revisions will now place this control in the hands of the politicians.
BOAT will become a redundant advisory board as much of the Sections 38 thru 43 have been rewritten and renumbered.
Section 38 deals with the composition of the Board of Apportionment. The current board consists of 12 members. The revision will reduce the number to 7. Hmmm, a 7 member financial advisory board to the Board of Alderman. Sounds exactly like the Financial Committee of the Board of Alderman. Redundancy?
Section 39 is completely new and deals with Financial Transfers and requests for Additional Appropriations. Any transfer request between line items within a department that does not increase the department’s budget will be reviewed by the Comptroller and approved or denied by the Mayor without review by BOAT or BOA. Really? Any request for Additional Appropriations to a department’s budget will be reviewed by BOAT and recommendations passed on to BOA. BOAT’s review usually includes hard questioning of the requestor. BOA can alter any BOAT recommendation by a 2/3 majority of members present and voting. Recommendations of BOAT that are not acted on will be deemed approved by BOA. Whether the recommendations are altered or not acted upon (approved), the final decision is with BOA. Again, BOAT serves only an advisory role and the politicians control the budget.
Section 40 is the old Section 39 and deals with quorum and voting requirements. These changes are tied to the reduction in the composition as discussed in Section 38.
Section 41 is the old Section 40 and deals with the BOAT Secretary. There are no changes here.
Section 42 is the old Section 41 and deals with the power of BOAT to request any books or information from city officers. Again, there are no changes here.
Section 43 is the old Section 42, dealing with the Budget Process and Budget Referendum, and has been completely rewritten. First, the Mayor proposes a budget. I have absolutely no problem with this. It should have been done long ago. Next, the budget goes to BOAT. Finally, it goes to BOA, which is not actually true. It really goes to the Financial Committee of BOA who will in turn recommend the final budget to the full Board of Aldermen. So there you have the budget going from one advisory board to an advisory committee before going to BOA. Redundant, redundant, redundant! And of course the politicians get the final say. The rest of this section deals with the Budget Referendum process and I have no problems with that.
The next Section is Section 44, the same as the old Section 44, that starts dealing with Public Works. So that is the end of the BOAT & Budget sections of the Charter. OR IS IT? When I started, I warned that the biggest problem was in what is no longer there. So here it is: The old Section 43 is gone
Sec. 43. – Fiscal year; partial appropriations; limitation on appropriations and city expenses; special appropriations.
The fiscal year of said city shall begin on the first day of July in each year and end on the thirtieth day of the succeeding June, both inclusive. Said board of apportionment and taxation shall not have power to make any appropriations in excess of the revenues of said city for any year as estimated by said board, and in no case shall the expenses of said city exceed its revenues for any year, except in cases and for purposes for which said city is authorized to issue bonds and when bonds or temporary notes in anticipation thereof are so issued. No money other than that appropriated shall be expended for any purpose, unless a special appropriation therefor shall first be approved by a two-thirds vote, taken by yeas and nays, of all members of said board present and absent; but such board shall have no power to make such special appropriations, unless the unappropriated revenues of said city are sufficient for the purpose. If a special appropriation in excess of the unappropriated revenues of the city is required an estimate of the same shall be prepared by the board of aldermen and submitted to said board of apportionment and taxation at a special meeting called for that purpose by the mayor, and said board, at said meeting or any adjournment thereof, shall have power to make an appropriation, and to lay a special tax to meet the same, but no appropriation shall be made unless a special tax is laid sufficient to cover the amount, when such appropriation is in excess of the unappropriated revenues of said city. Any appropriations so made for any specific purpose shall not be expended for any other purpose, and, if unexpended shall be placed back into the treasury at the expiration of the fiscal year. Upon approval of this section (as per current law) this section of the City Charter shall become the procedure for preparing a budget for the July 1 to June 30 fiscal year commencing July 1, 1994. The city shall use the current budget adoption procedures when adopting the conversion year budget (October 15, 1993 to June 30, 1994).
The plain English of the above:
Sets the Fiscal Year
Requires a balance budget where Expenditures cannot exceed Revenues
Departments cannot over expend their budgets
Establishes that only BOAT can make special appropriations from the Reserve Fund by 2/3 vote, but only if the Reserve Funds are sufficient
Establishes that only if the Reserve Funds are insufficient, the Aldermen must provide to BOAT an estimate of the amount above that in reserve and that only BOAT may by 2/3 vote lay a special tax and that any actual excess of that special tax above that required for the initial requested purpose must be returned to the Reserve.
This means that all of the Reserve Fund (monies previously paid by taxpayers) must be expended before any additional special taxes can be laid. With all the Charter Revisions giving final fiscal authority to the politicians and the elimination of the old Section 43, BOA may lay a special tax on the taxpayers for any project at any time.
There has been no mention of its elimination of the old Section 43 in any news articles or public hearings, but it is gone. Not only is this unethical, I believe it may also be illegal. I am not making any accusations as to any intent. It may have been an oversight. The bottom line … a key protection for the taxpayers has been removed and we are vulnerable.
I urge all voters to vote “NO” on all of the Charter Revision questions.
The writer is a former BOAT chairman.
