Well honey bunch, here we are in the merry, merry month ‘o May, and the only way we’re being taken by surprise is the continuous rain. April showers are s’posed to bring May flowers. What in blazes does May rain bring. Things are sooooo soggy around here, one wonders effen it’ll ever dry out. Goodness knows betwixt the allergies caused by the popping of the trees and flowers, and the lumbago cuz o’ the dampness, Cobina has been in quite a fix.
Here in the Asylum by the Sea, things are really percolating as far as a couple o’ major items. Sammy Bluejay was flutterin’ about the Actors Colony over the last couple o’ days, especially since herronner announced that the Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB) has put the nix on the budget ordinance passed by the City Council last week.
To say that many people in the know were expecting this turn of events would not even be scratchin’ the surface. Eyebrows were raised way back in March when a budget was proposed that did not include a tax hike. Given that 2019 is the year we have mayoral elections, it was not too much of a stretch to figger out why that was so.
Unfortunately or fortunately for herronner, it didn’t take too long for MARB to put the kibosh on it, and order some amendments. Whilst most of the talk centered around fixes in insurance and retirement accounts, the fack that a tax hike wasn’t included in the plan had to have some bearin’ on the decision made by the bean counters in Hartford.
Since this panel was put together it was perty much the consensus betwixt the members that the taxes in West Haven were too low to begin with, and in order to wean it off the dependence of state money and to create cash flow, revenues had to be raised. Since the only way to do that given our paltry tax base is to raise it on the property owners, there it is. Sooooo, don’t be surprised effen, despite the fack the city came in with a surplus last year of 3.1 million kopecks, and expecks to have another surplus, levies are gonna be raised somehow some way.
As we’ve said here from the outset, MARB is now the villain in this scenario. Herronner can claim plausible deniability, saying she tried to keep taxes the same, but the big, bad MARB said no. It might be a bit of an issue come the primary in September when she faces Deb Collins, or it may come up when she meets Ed O’Brien and a GOP candidate to be named later in November.
Either way or any way, don’t be surprised effen taxes go up during the negotiations that are to take place betwixt the city and MARB over the next few weeks. The ETA on putting together and passing this next round of budgetary exercises is June. That’s just in time for tax bills to be printed and sent out.
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Nelly Nuthatch came up with this tidbit. It seems the West Shore Fire Districk got a gift from the fire union over there. Given the tenuous problems the city is having and given that the fire districks are putting together and passing their own budgets, the union has foresworn a pay raise over the next two years.
That wasn’t the result of a strike or bad words passed amongst the fire commish and union. It seems that the membership over there perty much saw the reality on the wall, and saw that with the way things are not only in the city but in the state, now is not the time to push for a bigger paycheck. Whilst bigger paychecks are happening elsewhere, they ain’t happening in the Nutmeg State, which is still stuck on stupid and still spending money and taxing like it’s 1966/
Kudos to the union and the commish for coming together and dealing with the way things are rather than the way everyone would like ‘em to be.
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Well, well and more wells, Iva Lootey checked in and sez that the waiting game might be over – at least partially – for the Charter Revision Commish, which sent its proposals to be vetted by city barristers. That was weeks ago, and the commish has been on pins and needles tryin’ to figger out when they were gonna git an answer to at least some o’ their list. The barristers, of course, are making sure that there is no violation of any laws, state or city.
Last week, I told yew about some o’ the concerns that local yokels had about what they’d hoid the commish had done. Of course, where the speculation started is anyone’s guess. As Iva noted t’other day, the only ones who know what has been proposed – at least officially – are the commish members and the barristers.
Even so, there are some rumors about the berg, and already concerns are being voiced even though these are proposals, not law, and there is nothing official until the barristers’ vetting is completed. So, to say the angst is a bit premature is to capture the essence of the matter. Still, around these parts, people like to talk.
I dunno effen it was that little tidbit I told yew last week or not, but subsequent to it the commish got a missive from the Corporation Counsel saying they will meet with the commish tonight at its regular meeting and discuss the proposals that have been reviewed. The review ain’t complete, but they will give an update.
This should be interesting, and will finally give the residents of the berg an inkling as to what is being discussed and where some of the discussions have centered. Keep yore hat close, you might wanna attend.
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I see the Fireworks Committee has determined an ad book might be the way to defray costs for this year’s display, which usually happens on July 3. The overtime costs have been something that have concerned city officials and others. Those costs, you remember, prompted the mayor to ditch the Savin Rock Festival last year, and there is no indication whether we are yay or nay for this year. One expecks a decision anytime.
Tennyrate, we expeck that the ad book will be successful as will the “fill the boot” and other events the committee has each year to pay for the event. Let’s hope it all turns out OK.
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Madame Olga trundled over the other day, and mentioned that here we are in May and we’re still waiting for something – anything – to be announced concerning the Haven. Supposedly, the developers are still waiting for an answer from the DOT regarding traffic patterns before the start work. Meanwhile, people around that neighborhood are just hoping things start so that the eyesore that is a four-block area will finally be leveled.
The developers have been keeping their cards very close to their vests. The only word that has come recently about the projeck has been from the thoid floor of the Actors Colony. People are wondering when things will start moving. They’ve seen delays like this before, and they never turn out the way they were supposed to .
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With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,