ANSONIA — No one from the public offered comment on Mayor David Cassetti’s proposed budget during a hearing Thursday (March 18).
The Board of Apportionment and Taxation held the hearing via Zoom, in hopes of gauging input from residents regarding a $59.2 million budget proposed for the 2021 – 2022 fiscal year.
Under Cassetti’s proposal unveiled last week, taxes will not increase. While the bottom line is about $1.5 million, or 2.6 percent, more than the current budget, Cassetti’s proposal keeps the mill rate status quo.
Although there were about 25 participants listening in to Thursday’s virtual hearing, most of them were city officials. When Board Chairman Gary Cassetti called for members of the public to speak several times, nobody chimed in.
With that, the meeting adjourned after about 20 minutes. And about five or more of those minutes were allotted to give residents more time to jump onboard Zoom and join the conversation.
The city had advertised the hearing on its Facebook page and website. The Valley Indy posted information the day prior to the meeting on ValleyIndy.org along with social media.
The tax board is expected to meet about three more times to review and discuss the budget, before meeting jointly with the aldermen’s finance committee. The budget ultimately goes to the full Board of Aldermen for a review and vote.
Alderman Dan King made no bones about his feelings regarding the public’s sound of silence.
“I’ve heard so much discussion and criticism about the budget on social media, on Facebook and the internet, but when the opportunity to actually present the budget comes, I’m hearing nothing,” King said. “I expected to have a lot of feedback tonight. I was hoping to get input, answers and suggestions (from residents) and find out what their real concerns are without having to go on Facebook to find out. It’s disappointing. It’s a missed opportunity. It’s a shame.”
King is also on the Aldermen’s finance subcommittee.
The tax board did hear from a few department heads, including Ansonia Library Director Jennifer Lester and Police Chief Andrew Cota about cuts to their budget requests.
“In the budget I submitted I noticed some severe cuts,” Lester said. “I hope this board can allow me the opportunity to grant me the funds I’m requesting because they’re very minimal to begin with.” Lester requested a $458,183 budget, and the Mayor’s budget funds it at $445,306.
Cota concurred that funding cuts, especially with staffing, is a major concern.
“There have been some tweaks and adjustments to our budget, mostly to fill openings for new officers and some items associated with the new police accountability bill that’d we like to discuss,” Cota said. “We did ask for a third lieutenant to get that position back into the ranks. It’s not in this budget. We want to make sure we have the appropriate funding and staffing to move forward.”
Cota’s budget request is $5.7 million, and the Mayor’s budget funds it at $5.4 million.
Alderman Joseph Jeanette, Jr. inquired whether the tax board has any idea how much state or federal aid Ansonia may receive to help with costs associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“With some of the expenses we’ve had to deal with, with the pandemic, it shouldn’t be all on the residents to shoulder, the city needs to help out,” Jeanette said.
The Mayor’s budget proposal, in part, fully funds the Board of Education’s $33.6 million request, which is about $1 million, or 3.25 percent, more than the current school budget. It also includes $5.9 million in city employee benefits (which represents a reduction of nearly $224K); $2.1 million for public works; $1.7 million for waste collection and $286,259 for the fire department. There is also funding for investments in city infrastructure, including a road rehabilitation program, technology upgrades and the city’s first long-term capital investment program.
Residents can view the budget proposal here.
The video from the meeting is embedded below.
