Editorial

City budget process in view

This is a week that all taxpayers, not only homeowners, should begin to take notice of the goings-on in City Hall. Mayor Dorinda Borer has announced her budget, which by this writing is still uncertain as to the bottom line. The mayor has opted to use a codicil in state law, amended after the state’s budget debacle of a decade ago, to push the date of her proposal back to the day after the state finalizes its own package.

Under the city charter, the budget was to be proposed in March. The opt-out clause in state law allows municipal governments to bypass those charter prescriptions in unusual circumstances. Mayor Borer has done so.

The reason is manifold, but it boils down to one factor: state funding. The city, like most Connecticut municipalities, is dependent on revenue sharing from Hartford. Each year, the state gives cities and towns a “what to expect” notice as far as grants and other funding, through various programs. Usually, these notices are dependable, but there have been times the expected funding was cut during the state’s budgetary process.

West Haven needs to know what amounts to expect and be fairly accurate in crafting the revenue side of the city’s budget. She is hoping the new budget will increase certain revenues, particularly as it relates to school funding for some programs. The school system is facing a deficit due to unforeseen increases in transportation, tuition and other expenses for those programs that are farmed out to other agencies or towns.

Borer hopes – as do other city officials from various towns throughout the state – that a new formula will consider the rising costs of external programs for students. At this writing it is uncertain whether this will occur.

Borer will craft the final draft of her budget once she knows the revenue numbers, and propose the city’s spending plan the next day, scheduled for this week. As is usual, the City Council will attend a special meeting to hear the proposal and then schedule a public hearing. The Voice will publish a four-page special edition next week (scheduled for Tuesday) to fulfill charter and state law requirements regarding such hearings.

This is where we ask for taxpayers to be aware. The month of May will be one of review and adoption of a final budget for the City Council. Usually, this happens in April and is finalized by the first Thursday in May. With the new schedule, the council will have until May 31 to finalize the budget under state law.

While it seems a rushed period, it is, in fact, not much shorter than the usual schedule and the council should be able to review the plan in due course. The taxpayers, however, will not know what their tax obligations are until the process is complete, some four weeks later than normal.

Taxpayers are a part of the process and should be alert as to what Mayor Borer’s proposal offers. Too often, taxpayers grouse about budget decisions made, yet were never part of the process. This year is a special opportunity to be part of that process. We hope all will take advantage and keep informed.