For the first time ever, it’s up to Ansonia Aldermen to decide the city’s budget.
The city’s Board of Apportionment and Taxation voted unanimously March 9 to pass on a $62,395,000 spending plan for 2015 – 2016 to Aldermen, who have until April 30 to finalize a budget.
The BOAT budget’s bottom line is roughly $30,000 lower than a recommendation delivered to the board by Mayor David Cassetti in February.
Click the play button on the video to see the BOAT vote.
Aldermen will hold a public hearing on the budget Monday, March 23 at 6 p.m. in City Hall.
If Aldermen approve BOAT’s recommendations, the city’s mill rate would decrease by 1.09, or 2.82 percent.
That means for a house assessed at $200,000, property taxes would decrease $218, from $7,722 to $7,504.
Article continues after summary of BOAT’s budget.
This year marked a change from years past in the city’s budget process. The tax board used to have ultimate say over the city’s annual spending plan.
But at the urging of Mayor David Cassetti and local Republicans, voters last November approved a charter change to give Aldermen the ultimate say on the budget.
So under the new process, the mayor delivers recommendations to BOAT, who then adjusts them before passing its own recommendations to Aldermen.
BOAT made adjustments to the mayor’s budget proposal in the following departments:
- The board recommended a decrease in its own contingency budget, from the $758,952 Cassetti proposed to $633,850
- A $6,619 increase to the city’s debt service and insurance spending
- A $6,000 increase to the mayor’s office
- $500 more for the Emergency Operations Center budget
- An increase of $271,073 to the police department
- A proposed $4,000 decrease for the senior center
- A proposed $2,000 decrease to the fire department
- A $5,128 increase to the finance department
- A $124,310 decrease to public works
- $1,400 more for the library
- A $53,095 decrease to the school district
- A $3,000 decrease to Ansonia Rescue Medical Services
Dan King, the tax board’s chairman, told Aldermen during their regular monthly meeting March 10 to get to work.
“After my board’s hard work taking on the mayor’s budget, doing research, having great discussions, making a few adjustments, it’s now in your hands,” King said.
Phil Tripp, the president of the Board of Aldermen, said the spending plan strikes the right balance.
“This budget provides for the essential services while providing relief to the taxpayers,” Tripp said. “A lot of taxpayers and citizens of the city are very hard-pressed financially right now. Whatever small relief we can provide with the mill rate, people are appreciative of it.”
Immediately after the public hearing scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m., the Aldermen’s finance committee will meet to discuss the Board of Education budget for 2015 – 2016.
This year’s school budget is $28,897,207. The Board of Education requested $30,799,138. The mayor recommended $30,053,095, which BOAT trimmed to $30 million even.
The Aldermen’s finance committee will hold further meetings March 25 and April 6. A schedule is posted below.
Aldermen have tentatively scheduled an April 14 meeting at 7 p.m. in City Hall to finalize a 2015 – 2016 budget.
