There is something very wrong with Team Cassetti’s proposed budget. They are claiming that it will be funded with $5M in imaginary dollars. In the budget, the line item says, “Use of Future Revenue.” Seems innocent enough, right? But what is this imaginary money? The truth is: it doesn’t exist. “Anticipated Revenue” is supposed to be guaranteed funds you expect in, like property tax collection or a deal that has a contract signed. That is not the case with these funds. In fact, there is not a scrap of proof that these funds — which don’t currently exist — will materialize.
When pressed by Valley Indy, Kurt Miller gave a vague answer about possible revenue from Ansonia Brass. Here’s the problem with that: The fiscal year starts on July 1 — a month from now. The city does not own Ansonia Brass. The court case is not close to being done for them to possibly gain ownership, if they do at all.
From the court documents, it shows that a status update was denied in March. And less than two weeks ago, the city attorney filed to request to “correct errors” from the case he filed 16 months ago. This case is nowhere near completion, and the well-paid city lawyer is once again making errors while we pay for every hour he works. How can the city claim they’re going to sell a property tomorrow that they don’t own. It may take months or years — if ever — to gain ownership.
Even worse, in the court documents, the property’s market value is listed as $0 due to the extreme amount of contamination on the property. How does the city expect us to believe they are going to gain ownership in a month, find tens of millions of dollars to remediate the property out of thin air, clean it up in the blink of an eye, bring the value up to $5M, properly and legally perform the lengthy bid process outlined in state and municipal law, find a buyer, sell the property for this astronomical amount, and do so in a month to fund this budget?
Any reasonable person can look at the facts above and conclude that this $5M does not exist and cannot realistically fund the fiscal year starting July 1. You cannot base a budget on hopes that the courts will speed up, that they will rule in your favor, that you’ll come into millions to clean the property or find a daft billionaire who wants to buy a property worth $0 for $5M.
If the sweetheart deal on Olson Drive is any indicator, the city would give nearly 20 years of tax breaks and sell the property for pennies on the dollar anyway. There is simply no realistic way this $5M will exist, and it should be struck from the budget. We have to budget for reality, not the desperate hopes of an administration trying to cover up for their mistakes with smoke and mirrors.
I fear slashed services midyear, a supplemental tax bill, and worse if they budget with imaginary money.
The public hearing is TONIGHT. I urge you to show up, and speak up for sane budgeting.
Sincerely,
Richard Tylinski
ANSONIA
