ANSONIA — The city’s Board of Apportionment and Taxation unanimously approved Mayor David Cassetti’s proposed $60.5 million budget for fiscal year 2022 – 2023 on Tuesday (April 19) that keeps the mill rate stable.
The tax board didn’t make a single change to Cassetti’s budget, which he first unveiled April 7. While the budget is $1.5 million, or 2.5 percent, more than the current budget, it keeps the current mill rate of 37.8 mills the same. Cassetti had said he would veto any budget that contained a mill rate increase.
The budget now heads to the Board of Aldermen, who will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. May 5 at City Hall. The Aldermen –who get the final say so — are expected to vote on and adopt the budget at its regular monthly meeting May 10 at City Hall.
The tax board held a public hearing on the proposal Tuesday at City Hall which drew just three residents.
Democratic Town Committee Chairman John Feddern asked if the budget included any money for Valley Save Our Youth, a non-profit that offers programs for at-risk city youths and young adults. Feddern said VSOY recently opened a new facility and he encouraged the city to give the program any financial support it could.
The city’s Chief Financial Officer Kurt Miller said VSOY hadn’t contacted him about requesting funds in the upcoming budget.
Following the hearing, which lasted less than five minutes, the tax board and the Aldermen’s finance committee met to continue going over the budget. Miller went through the various departmental budget requests, explaining any areas that showed increases. Miller said much of the increase is attributed to a rise in utilities, and additional funding included for public safety and information technology services.
The budget in part includes a $542,300 increase for utilities, bringing that budget to $3.2 million; a $348,000 increase in waste collection for a total budget of $2 million and about $150,000 more for the police department, bringing the department’s budget to $5.6 million. There’s also $2.3 million for the Public Works Department and $457,000 for the public library.
The budget also includes an additional $379,083 for the Board of Education, which fully funds the school board’s total $33,926,212 budget request.
