Members of Ansonia’s Board of Apportionment and Taxation tentatively approved a 2014 – 2015 budget Monday that would deliver a slight tax decrease to residents.
The board is scheduled to finalize the spending plan during a meeting at Ansonia City Hall May 19.
The tax board invited members of the public to comment on the budget proposal Monday, but though more than 30 people packed Aldermanic Chambers for the hearing, only two residents — themselves public officials — offered comments.
By The Numbers
As it stands, the budget totals $61,385,323, and would deliver a mill rate of 38.61.
The mill rate is currently 39.34.
The decrease amounts of .73 mill, or about 1.9 percent.
That means for the owner of a house assessed at $150,000, property taxes would decrease about $109.
Meanwhile, overall spending would increase $298,895 year over year, or about .5 percent.
Article continues after a copy of the budget proposal.
Ansonia Tentative 2014 – 2015 Budget
Schools
Schools Superintendent Carol Merlone began Monday’s hearing by thanking city officials for their work on the budget and for their “strong support” of the school district.
Under the budget that was approved tentatively Monday, the school district will receive $28,897,207 next year, an increase of $897,207, or 3.2 percent.
(In prior copies of the budget proposal distributed by the city, the increase for schools was listed as $1,338,981, or 4.78 percent. But BOAT members on Tuesday shifted $441,774 of that total, representing an increase in the city’s Alliance District state grant for poorly performing school districts, to a different line item. The bottom line was not affected.)
Merlone even quoted Robert F. Kennedy in lauding Mayor David Cassetti for giving the school system a “ripple of hope” in tough economic times.
“Although public education will be facing some layoffs, I want to publicly recognize the mayor’s commitment to the students of Ansonia,” Merlone said.
After the meeting, the superintendent said she does not yet know the magnitude of the potential layoffs.
Merlone said that once the budget is finalized she’ll recommend cuts to the school board for consideration.
Though she couldn’t be specific about how many school district employees will be losing their jobs, she said it won’t be anywhere near the 46 teachers the district put on notice earlier in the year that their contracts may not be renewed.
Board of Education President William Nimons said members of the tax board have done the best they could to balance funding city services in a stagnant economy that has hammered the city’s tax base.
“The two main functions that are going to be moving the city along are education and economic development,” Nimons said.
Ambulance Spending
Ansonia Rescue Medical Services Chief Jared Heon followed Merlone’s comments during Monday’s hearing by questioning why BOAT reduced the ARMS budget.
While Aldermen were reviewing the budget earlier in the year, Cassetti recommended a $30,925 year over year, or 4.1 percent decrease.
BOAT shaved the number by a further $7,500, meaning the ambulance service would see a 5.1 percent decrease to its budget.
Heon told Aldermen in January he’d try to pinch pennies with more volunteer staffing to deal with the cut to his budget.
But he warned he might have to cut back on staff hours on the department’s second ambulance crew, and pointed out the city will also see less revenue if the department is responding to fewer calls.
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On Monday Heon said he wasn’t even aware of the cut until reading about it online.
He thanked the tax board for their work in giving residents a slight tax reduction, but asked them to reconsider their cut to the ARMS budget.
“I’m trying to maintain the level of service that we have,” he said. “This was just an extra blow to us that I don’t feel we’re able to handle.”
Tax board members did not heed the request, approving the 5.1 percent decrease to the ARMS budget unanimously, without discussion.
