On May 13, 2013, the Ansonia Board of Appropriations and Taxation (BOAT) held a public session. Several other aldermen and I were there. The Board of Education and citizens spoke about their concerns for next year’s budget – it is well known that shrinking State and Federal funding will make it difficult for the Board of Education in 2014.
On May 13, 2013, with the public and aldermen present, BOAT unanimously approved the budget, the same budget unanimously approved by the Board of Aldermen after months of meeting and deliberations with City departments and BOAT. As far as most of us were concerned, the budget had been finalized.
Then, on May 16, at a meeting closed to public comments, BOAT raised the mill rate from 27.65 to 39.15. Now, BOAT complains that members of the Board of Aldermen were not present.
(One could complain, in equal measure, that BOAT has high-jacked the budget process and is spending beyond the means of the Citizens of Ansonia. Furthermore, to imply that somehow raising the mill rate will have a positive impact on economic development is far-fetched.)
The Board of Education needs to be adequately funded – as do all City departments. But the citizens of Ansonia whose taxes support the City should have a direct say on the budget. Members of BOAT are appointed; they are not elected. To ensure that all the citizens of Ansonia have a say on the budget and avoid this situation in the future, I have submitted a charter revision for the public referendum to vote on a budget with a 1.5% or more tax increase. Democratic, transparent, and fair for all.
I am surprised that there hasn’t there been a public response from Finance Committee Chairman Edward Adamowski or BOA President Gene Sharkely on this matter. I am looking forward to hearing from them and seeing the entire Board of Aldermen at BOAT’s May 20th meeting and expect BOAT to give the Board of Aldermen the opportunity to reply to some of BOAT’s concerning statements.
Yours truly,
Alderman Charles Stowe
The writer is a Republican Alderman representing Ansonia’s Second Ward.
Click here for a reaction from the Ansonia tax board chairman.
