FILE PHOTO
Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti in a file photo.
ANSONIA — Residents will not see their taxes increase in a new, $59.2 million budget unanimously approved by the Board of Aldermen Tuesday.
While the budget is about $1.5 million, or 2.5 percent, more than the current budget, the mill rate of 37.80 will remain status quo, meaning no additional hit on residents’ pocketbooks.
“The past year has been incredibly hard on all of us, and the last thing any of us needs is a tax increase,” said Alderman Tony Mammone, who also chairs the board’s finance subcommittee. “This budget does not increase taxes; it does not decrease any vital city services and provides continued capital investments. I want to thank everyone, including the mayor, the tax board and the finance subcommittee, for all their effort and hard work on this budget.”
One of the biggest areas of concern voiced during public hearings was the budget for the Ansonia Public Library. The library requested a $458,183 budget, but Mayor David Cassetti’s initial budget proposal-and the newly approved budget-funds the library at $445,306.
However, after city officials recently met with Library Director Jennifer Lester, a plan was devised to ensure more staffing and increased library hours, without actually increasing the library budget’s bottom line.
The city’s Chief Financial Officer Kurt Miller said two full-time library staff members are retiring, and one will be replaced with a full-time person, while the other retiree will be replaced with “four or five part-timers, based on need.”
“The weekly staff hours from 244 hours pre-COVID will increase to 262 hours effective July 1,” Miller said. “The additional staffing and hours will allow Jennifer to address planning goals and sets the library up very nicely to move forward in a productive fashion over the next several years. We are providing more service for a cheaper price.”
The overall city budget was reviewed and approved by both the tax board and aldermen’s finance subcommittee, prior to coming before the Aldermen for a final vote. Cassetti initially presented his budget in March, and no major changes were since recommended or made.
The approved budget fully funds the Board of Education budget at $33.6 million, which is about $1 million, or 3.25 percent, more than the current budget. It also includes $5.4 million for the police department; $5.9 million in city employee benefits; $2.1 million for public works; $1.7 million for waste collection and $286,259 for the fire department. The budget also includes investments in city infrastructure, including a pro-active road rehabilitation program, technology upgrades and the first ever long-term capital investment program.
Miller had said the budget’s biggest drivers are attributed to the city’s reinvestment in itself in the capital program, as well as debt service, primarily from the new police station being built downtown.
Alderman Bill Phipps expressed disappointment in only being provided with a budget summary Tuesday, and not the entire document, showing every department’s line items.
“It’s a huge deviation from past budgets,” Phipps said. “I have not seen the finished budget online. It’s not acceptable that we don’t have the final document that will be filed.”
Miller, along with several Aldermen, informed Phipps that the entire budget has been online for the past two months, with no changes made since Cassetti originally presented it to the Aldermen (the city’s website prominently displays the budget first proposed by the mayor in March, and a link to a version of the budget from April 27).
Aldermanic President Josh Shuart was grateful for the streamlined process.
“Change is good when it makes things better,” he said. “Of all the budgets I’ve seen I have the most confidence in this one being true and accurate. I hammered Kurt with questions and he has always answered every one of them honestly.”
Alderman Joe Jaumann agreed the new budget format was a change for the better.
“I found it so much easier to navigate and understand where the tax dollars are going,” Jaumann said.
