Well honey bunch, June is winding down, and the kiddies are getting outta school this week. The frowns yew’ve seen on the moms is evidence enuff of that reality. Of course, jest look at the faces o’ the kiddies and the opposite is true. June in our Asylum by the Sea, meanwhile, means that most of the politicos go into summer mode.
The City Council, which won’t have much to do now that the MARB is making most o’ the financial decisions, meets on a summer schedule – or about once a month — whilst the Bored of Ed does the same thing. The wag, Lawd love him, had a query about the bored recently. It seems that there is talk of re-upping Superintendent of Schools Neil Cavallaro’s contrack, or, we should say, extending it. That seems to be a ritual that we go through every couple o’ years.
I hear tell that whilst some on the school board are in favor, some are not. We ain’t sure how many are against. But then again, we ain’t sure how many are in favor. Stay tuned. Odds are he’ll get an extension, but stranger things have happened.
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Sammy Bluejay tells me the Charter Revisions Commish is kind of working under the radar – everyone’s. And, that might be a good thing to keep the aforementioned politicos from mucking up the works. Sammy sez that work is running apace for the panel, which is taking apart the current charter and looking at all the component parts, and lookin’ to see what – if anything – needs to be changed.
We already know that some changes in the budget-making process are being contemplated and endorsed by the mayor and City Council chairman. They wanna see the charter amended so that changes in the budget can be done by a simple majority rather than the supermajority that has been such a hurdle over the last several years.
After that, it’s anyone’s guess what might happen, but Sammy sez that this group of nondescript regulars are getting an education in West Haven Civics and putting it to work in very good — if stealth – ways. That should make both Ed Granfield the chairman, and John Carrano the “ranking member” very happy.
Stay tuned. Iyam sure by the time the summer turns to fall we might have some idea of how much work the group has done, and in what directions the discussions are going. Remember, the members have until 2019 to make a final report, so things aren’t all gonna happen at once.
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Before I forgit, the high school had its graduation t’other night, and with the construction going on, the powers that be came up with an interesting shuttle system so that parking, which is at a premium over there, doesn’t git overtaxed.
People were supposed to park at various points throughout and get bused over to the Ken Strong Stadium site. Of course, they publicized this in the various venues, but there were and are people who didn’t “get the memo.” Natchurly, there were some problems we are told, but overall the parking situation was as bad as most people thought it was gonna be.
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Just in time for the Fourth, the city sent out its tax bills last week, and the annual rites of summer commence. It seems like a bucket of cold water every year when the tax bills roll around. And I hafta admit, one wonders jest how some o’ these things are calculated. There seems no rhyme or reason to the assessments at times.
Nelly Nuthatch reminded Cobina t’other day that the tax assessor’s office – follying a long-established precedent in these parts – can sight unseen reassess property upwards within limits. Most businesses in the city have experienced this over the past few years. Yew git a missive in the post from the Actors Colony (Yes, that means City Hall), and it announces that pursuant to state law, the assessor is gonna upgrade yore number so that a few more kopecks can be wrung outta yore pocketbook.
Most people saw that last year, and will see it this year, as the city tacked on the most it could in auto taxes when the property tax bills went out. It seems the General Assembly, lord love ‘em, allowed a maximum based on mill rate and at least this berg decided to go with it, seeing as how the money is needed.
So, the moral o’ this story is that whilst a fool and his money are soon parted, a taxpayer and his money are parted every July 1 and January 1.
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Herroner went before the MARB – that’s the Municipal Accountability Review Board effen yew’ve forgot – to present the Five-year Plan for the city. Let’s jest say that these numbers people are jest that – numbers people.
They lauded the city for raising taxes and trying to cut spending, and then did what they’ve done in the past, chastise people for not having the will to do it earlier. Yew know, these people are jest whot is the problem around this state. Keep taxing people to make sure things stay status quo.
The city went into debt more than a dozen years ago cuz politicos didn’t wanna stop spend, nor did they wanna lay people off. Soooooo, effen yew remember, bonded funds were “inflated” a bit, and we were told that the extra money was to pay the cost of the bonding: lawyers, research, etc.
What was happening was the extra money was squirreled over to pay bills and balance the books, whilst the tax rate stayed the same. Nobody wanted to do the heavy lifting of either cutting personnel or cutting programs.
Enter the Picard administration and it had quite a mess on its hands, and had to make some decisions. One o’ those decisions was ignore the deficit immediately, but try to pay it off over time. The big problem was paying down the bonds, which were costing the city dearly in debt service. The plan would’ve worked effen the housing collapse and recession didn’t happen.
Add to it the stagnant economy under the Obama administration that lasted until 2016, and you have quite a toxic mix.
The MARB sees the city’s salvation in raising taxes and bonding where necessary. It lacks any kind of understanding that those things drive people outta the city, making those left to pick up the pieces. That’s the way the entire state runs. Just raise taxes and forget that people are leaving the state in droves.
The lack of humanity is astounding, but not surprising, sweets. Numbers people rarely have humanity.
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The city is getting ready for the annual fireworks, and it looks like herroner is spearheading an attempt to git a quick ad book together to pay for the extra expenses. It’ll be interesting to see what they come up with in a couple o’ weeks. Something tells me they have the usual suspecks cobbled together for a beginning. I don’t think I hafta outline who. But it’ll also be interesting to see what businesses take part, and which decide not to. I’m sure we’ll get info as to what businesses were forthcoming and which were not too thrilled with the idea.
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,