Editorial

The city has cleared a hurdle, while receiving somewhat tepid praise from the Municipal Accountability Review Board; but let us not take more than slight regard to the kudo, the panel is using a “carrot and stick” approach. That became apparent as while on the one hand it praised the city for the steps it took to bring the city’s expenses lower, it still threatened the possibility of moving West Haven from Tier III to Tier IV status.

Two weeks ago, the City Council approved a $3 million package of additional cuts from Mayor Nancy Rossi’s original proposed budget, bringing the document in line with the wishes of the MARB as expressed at the panel’s May meeting.

The original budget had anticipated a $9 million injection of state money into the city’s coffers to fill a deficit created when the state failed to come through with its own cost-sharing funds during last year’s budget battle. Instead, the MARB opted to put $6 million into city accounts, while holding the rest for its own operating expenses and other costs.

So, the mayor’s $162.86 million proposed budget had a built-in spending gap that had to be addressed. The City Council could not agree on making changes to the document during its six-week budget review earlier this spring, mostly due to the inability to reach the nine-vote threshold required to make changes on the 13-member council. The members rejected the budget by an 8-5 vote against passage. Under the charter, the rejection put the proposed budget into law by default. But the council did not set a mill rate, a parliamentary move that allowed it to revisit the matter before the July 1 implementation date.

At its May meeting, MARB told the council to get back to the drawing board with the mayor and come up with the necessary cuts, bringing the package into balance. After two weeks of difficult negotiations, the council passed the amended budget by an 11-0 vote. The council also raised the mill rate by one.

In its meeting last week, MARB was pleased with the movement made by the city, but the fact it still held Tier IV status “on the table” should serve as fair warning to city officials this might be the ultimate goal of the state panel. City officials have mentioned the members of MARB, mostly bureaucrats are not comfortable with the give-and-take of parliamentary procedure and day-to-day politics.

Used to plying their will by diktat, bureaucrats are more comfortable with taking charge, making decisions and not having to worry about the fallout democratic institutions bring about. The city’s Tier III status still gives some leeway to the council as far as making decisions, dealing with financial matters and leading the city.

Putting West Haven into Tier IV status is much more in keeping with the bureaucratic mindset and that is what has some city officials worried. This would give much more power to the MARB, and allow it to open up contracts as well as make demands as to the day-to-day operation of the city. It would have a much more top-to-bottom approach.

We believe the city officials we’ve talked to have reason to be concerned. Panels such as MARB, while enacted by a legislative procedure, are set up to make dispassionate decisions. In a phrase: they don’t live here, City Council members do.

From its own standpoint, MARB is more efficient and gets more done by wresting control of city government from elected officials, giving them only rubber-stamp abilities. The faint praise meted out by the members over decisions made could still lead to the damnation of losing control over our community.

City officials are not without cause to be concerned. Taken from a realistic standpoint, MARB was sent in to make difficult decisions for West Haven. City Council members were elected to do what is right for the residents of the city as they see it. The two could well be on a collision course that can only end one way: MARB having virtual control of city management by relegation to Tier IV.