Final Budget Vote Preserves Tax Hike

by Thomas Breen | May 30, 2018 8:08 am

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Posted to: City Hall, City Budget

The Board of Alders voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to approve a final new city budget with an 11 percent tax increase after beating back three determined alders’ last-ditch attempts to cut expenditures. The alders also voted to cut over $5 million in proposed borrowing for capital projects with an eye towards reducing the city’s long-term debt. The votes took place during a special meeting in the Aldermanic Chambers on the second floor of City Hall for the final action on the mayor’s proposed $547.1 million operating budget and $79.6 million capital budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. After over three hours of deliberations, the alders voted overwhelmingly to adopt a $547.1 million operating budget that was largely unchanged from the amended version that the Finance Committee recommended two weeks ago. The budget that the alders adopted preserves the mayor’s proposed 11 percent tax increase for the fiscal year beginning July 1. It also follows the Finance Committee’s recommendations to increase healthcare funding by $5 million and to flat-fund the schools budget. The alders voted to cut the mayor’s proposed capital budget by $5.18 million, leaving intact major upcoming projects like the new $10 million reconstruction of the Department of Public Works (DPW) headquarters and instead nibbling away at dozens of smaller line items ranging from police technology improvements to parks field upgrades. Tuesday night’s meeting was the alders’ last chance to amend the mayor’s proposed budget before sending it back to the mayor’s office for final review and approval. Mayor Toni Harp must sign the budget or veto specific line items within the next 10 days, or else the budget as adopted by the alders will got into effect come July 1. Tomas Reyes, the mayor’s chief of staff, said after the meeting that the mayor will need to review the alders’ budget, and that it is too soon to tell whether or not she will veto any line items. He said the mayor was wary of the alders’ decision to flat-fund the Board of Education (BOE) budget, and reiterated that her analysis of the school systems’ finances led her to believe that the BOE needs an additional $5 million from the city next year. The alders ultimately made very few changes to the amended budget put forth by the Finance Committee, which in turn changed neither the total dollar amount of the mayor’s proposed operating budget nor its proposed double-digit tax increase. The $547.1 general fund budget approved by the alders represents an increase of $8.1 million, or 1.52 percent, over last year’s final approved budget. The tax increase will raise the city’s real estate and personal property mill rate from 38.68 to 42.98. One mill corresponds to $1 in taxes for every $1,000 of assessed taxable real estate. Therefore, the 11 percent tax increase means that a person with a house and lot assessed at $100,000 will pay $4,298 instead of $3,868 in annual real property taxes. Similarly, a person with a house and lot assessed at $500,000 will pay $21,490 instead of $19,340 in annual real property taxes. Still, Tuesday night’s meeting featured a sustained volley of proposed policy amendments and budget cuts from a trio of alders seeking to cut city costs and increase budgeting transparency. Nearly every proposal, however big or small, was voted down by a majority of alders, who dismissed them as too vague, too last-minute, or encroaching on legislative overreach. The alders met, as they always do before full board meetings, for a private Democratic Party caucus which is not open to the public. Since every member of the Board of Alders is either a Democrat or unaffiliated and caucuses with the Democrats, the private caucus de facto functions as a closed-door session for all of the alders to hash out their thoughts, agreements, and disagreements before this final vote on the budget. After spending nearly 50 minutes in private caucus in a meeting room on the second floor of City Hall, the board held its mandated public information caucus, which is open to the public, in another second-floor meeting room. The public information caucus lasted just under 30 seconds. 3 Musketeers Beaver Hills Alder and Board of Alders Majority Leader Richard Furlow asked three times if any alders had any comments on the proposed budget. No one said a word. So the public information session ended. During the formal board meeting itself, Downtown Alder Abby Roth, East Rock Alder Anna Festa, and Newhallville/Prospect Hill Alder Steve Winter proposed over 20 budget amendments among the three of them. The three alders supported each other throughout the night, seconding one another’s amendments and offering verbal support in the face of their largely disapproving colleagues. Five of their proposals passed; another two were tabled. Festa, a member of the Finance Committee, was one of the most persistent and critical voices on the committee during the past three months of budget hearings, workshops, and deliberations. Roth and Winter, though not on the Finance Committee, showed up to nearly every one of the committee’s budget meetings as well as to the monthly meetings of the city’s independent Financial Review and Audit Commission (FRAC). Roth’s first proposed amendment to the general fund budget called to restore projected vacancy savings from the $1.8 million recommended by the Finance Committee to the full $3.6 million recommended by the mayor. Roth said that the additional $1.8 million in expected savings should be put towards reducing the mill rate increase. In her defense of the amendment, Roth warned about the impact of the 11 percent tax increase on city residents. “We cannot tax ourselves out of this situation,” she said. She said current residents will move, affordable housing will become more scarce, and good jobs will flee the city if the 11 percent tax increase passed. She said restoring the proposed vacancy savings to $3.6 million was ambitious, but that the mayor believed it was possible in her original budget. Westville Alder Darryl Brackeen, Jr. asked for a print-out of Roth’s amendment to be passed around to all of the alders in the room, as many had not seen or read it yet. Fair Haven Heights Alder Rosa Santana said she disapproved of the proposal simply because Roth was introducing it so late in the budget-making process. Ultimately, the alders voted overwhelmingly to table the amendment. Winter proposed that the alders reduce a vacant police captain position’s salary to $1, reduce the Transportation, Traffic and Parking (TTP) director’s salary by $10,000, and reduce TTP’s “Other Contractual Services” line item by $4,000 in order to fund a second public code enforcement officer for DPW and an executive administrative assistant position for TTP. “I think that its important that we are looking at the budget and trying to invest in positions that can bring revenue into the city,” Winter said. “And both of these positions are great candidates for that.” He said DPW currently only has one code enforcement officer, Honda Smith, and that she brings in more revenue to the city than her position costs. He also said the TTP executive administrative assistant, which was recently vacated, will help shore up parking ticket and meter bag revenue, which are projected at coming in at $500,000 under budget this year in part due to that position’s vacancy. He said that amendment was revenue neutral, but that the funding of the two positions would in fact result in a net revenue gain for the city in the long run. Brackeen said the alders did not have the correct information before them regarding the amendment’s details, and the alders voted to table Winter’s amendment. “FRACing All Over That!” Festa proposed an amendment to take $3.5 million out of the $5 million increase to the city’s healthcare fund that was proposed by the Finance Committee and use that money to reduce the proposed tax increase. She cited as rationale for her amendment a recently released analysis by the city’s Human Resources (HR) department that projected that city employee contributions towards their healthcare premiums will likely increase by $3.5 million next fiscal year. Westville Alder and Finance Committee Co-Chair Adam Marchand stood up and opposed Festa’s amendment. He acknowledged that Anthem, the insurance provider that the city uses for its own self-insurance policy, had indeed provided new premium rates to the city which the city’s HR department projected would result in a 17 percent average increase in monthly premium contributions for city employees. But, he cautioned, that increase in employee payroll deductions for medical would not necessarily result in a lighter medical cost load for the city. In fact, he said, based on historical trends and market projections, the city will likely have to pay at least as much of a premium increase as its employees for medical coverage next year. “I question the wisdom of moving any of those $5 million” from the medical fund, he said. “It’s a recipe for a continuing slide into greater negative fund balances. We currently have a $13 million negative fund balance in medical. You quote FRAC. They’ve been FRACing all over that! It’s the number one thing that they mention.” The alders voted overwhelmingly to discard Festa’s proposed amendment. The only amendments that the alders approved for the general fund budget were a revenue-neutral amendment from Quinnipiac Meadows Alder Gerald Antunes to shift $30,000 from police overtime to help pay for officer promotions; amendments from Festa to require the city to publish a list by Sept. 1, 2018, of all properties currently benefitting from tax deferrals, and to require the city to get the approval of the Board of Alders before issuing any salary increases for executive or management employees. Some of the proposed amendments that failed to win the support of the Board included: • Roth’s proposal to cut 5 percent from every city department except for public safety departments and put the savings towards a mill rate decrease.

• Winter’s proposal to require the Finance Department to publish the budget electronically as an Excel Spreadsheet to facilitate easier manipulation of financial assumptions.

• Festa’s proposal to sequester all existing and proposed funds for the Escape Teen Center until the city renegotiates its lease with Bethel AME Church and drops the proposed youth center and homeless shelter project entirely, which has been significantly delayed and will compete with the new Q House once that city-owned site comes online next year. The only alders to vote against the adoption of the general fund budget as amended by the full board were Roth, Winter, Festa, Santana, and Newhallville Alder Kimberly Edwards. $5M Cut From Capital Budget For the capital budget, Winter proposed a detailed list of cuts that avoided some of the city’s major upcoming projects and critical functions like street and sidewalk repair, but that nevertheless added up to $5.18 million. Those cuts included a $400,000 reduction to the Finance Department’s IT initiatives line item, a $500,000 cut to the Parks Department’s infrastructure improvements line item, and a $100,000 cut to the City Plan department’s Farmington Canal Greenway line item. Marchand praised the specificity and careful reason behind Winter’s proposed cuts. He said they would not affect this year’s tax increase, but they would help reduce the city’s long-term debt obligations. The city currently pay $67.2 million per year towards debt service. Every alder except for Festa voted in favor of adopting the capital budget that included Winter’s line item amendment. (West Rock Alder Michelle Sepulveda, who left the meeting before the vote took place, did not vote on the capital budget.) Click here to download the complete list of capital budget cuts included in the amended capital budget that was approved by the alders on Tuesday. “I appreciate the work that everyone has done in this budget season,” West River Alder and Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers said at the end of the meeting. She said she recognized that an 11 percent tax increase puts a lot of pressure on city residents and alders alike. She said the alders’ work on the budget is not over, and that there is always the opportunity to amend the budget after it has been adopted in case unforeseen revenues come from the state or elsewhere. She said the alders always have the public’s interest at the forefront of their minds. “We are facing challenging times,” Marchand said before the alders voted to approve the amended general fund budget. “We are trying to face that challenge in a fiscally responsible way. No one is excited about raising taxes. We did not have the money to reduce that mill rate. But New Haven is a city on the rise. There are still many people coming here to live, to develop, to build. And if we can tackle the structural issues that are in our budget and make progress … then we can position ourselves in an increasingly favorable way going forward.” Acting Budget Director Michael Gormany said his department will now take a look at all of the policy amendments approved by the alders as he consults with the mayor in the coming days. The April 2018 monthly financial report put out by Gormany’s department projects a $14.07 million deficit for the fiscal year that ends at the end of June. He said city has frozen all expenditures and that he and City Controller Daryl Jones will present a final plan on June 11 to the Finance Committee for balancing the city’s budget by the end of the fiscal year. Click on the Facebook Live videos below to watch the full Board of Alders budget hearing.

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posted by: Ulmus Civitas on May 30, 2018 8:30am Alders have betrayed us residents. After property taxes were raised about 25% last year, now our mill rate goes up 11% because we have incompetent and fiscally naive people in power. Residents need to unite. Our voice seems like it wasn’t heard or cared for in this matter. This negligence makes me sick.

posted by: Noteworthy on May 30, 2018 8:52am Non-Representative Notes: 1. 30 alders - but only three provided budget amendments. Most alders did not attend any of the budget hearings that included the public - doubtful they attended budget workshops. Did they read the budget? Understand it? Doubt it. 2. The BOA does not represent us. They insult us. This budget proves it. They ignored our testimony from across this city. 3. “We are trying to face that challenge in a fiscally responsible way. No one is excited about raising taxes. We did not have the money to reduce that mill rate…” said Ald. Marchand. This is a lie or it’s ignorant of basic math. How do you cut the mill rate if you don’t cut spending? When you spend all the money, you fund phantom employee positions, you protect every job, you consolidate no department or demand that any department cut its budget - how in hell do you say you don’t have the money to cut the tax hike? 4. This 11% tax hike is a $30 million cash grab. It will come out of family budgets, hurt families and makes life tougher for us. The BOA doesn’t care. The mayor doesn’t care. 5. Re: the current deficit - that the finance department is coming up with a mitigation plan 30 days before the end of the fiscal year - a year that has been operating at a deficit for nearly the entire year - is about as pathetic as it gets. The finance department needs to be nuked - it gave us this budget, can’t find a deficit reduction plan until the last minute, concocts all manner of reckless master leases, mountains of debt and bonds that cost us interest on the interest. 6. What is also clear - is that Mayor Harp has not managed a balanced budget since she’s been in office. Her election claims to the contrary were a lie. 7. No voter should give this hapless Non-representative BOA a vote. Vote for other offices - do not vote for any alder who approved the tax hike, no votes for the mutes. 8. #NOvember.

posted by: NHVCyclist on May 30, 2018 8:54am Recall Harp.

Recall all Alders except Roth, Festa, and Winter.

(And even those 3 should be thoroughly questioned). Where do I sign up for the taxpayers revolt?

posted by: wendy1 on May 30, 2018 9:00am Holy S***!!!!!!! Papa, where’s my bullhorn.

posted by: Westville Wailer on May 30, 2018 9:17am This is pathetic! Was there ever a serious discussion about staff reductions? Any one looking to buy a home in Westville?

posted by: newhavenishome on May 30, 2018 9:23am Can we just focus towards November? Vote these alders out, except Roth, Festa and Winters. What wards have November races, and who will be challenged?

posted by: robn on May 30, 2018 9:29am Irresponsible and insulting.

The city has a spending problem, not an income problem.

posted by: New Haven Joe on May 30, 2018 9:41am This is outrageous. Personally, our taxes went up by 10% last year during the reassessment. Another 11% this year is tough to swallow especially in light of the new limitations on federal SALT deductions. As a state employee, I am on furlough days and haven’t had a cost of living raise in nearly three years. I wish our city would be as frugal as the state. Being new to the area, I feel that the city has it backwards. In other places I have lived, the city develops the budget based on the expected tax revenues. Here, they seem to adjust the mill rate each year to meet their ever-increasing expenditures. The city needs a serious change of culture when it comes to spending our tax dollars.

posted by: THREEFIFTHS on May 30, 2018 9:59am A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves and traitors are not victims… but accomplices” ― George Orwell How many of you voted them? And How many of you will vote them back in?

posted by: AverageTaxpayer on May 30, 2018 10:02am This is the result of one-party politics and a total lack of accountability at the voting booth. New Haven would benefit by having some taxpayer representation and more than one “gang” of politicos. (Too bad Elicker abandoned his political movement in favor of his cushy non-profit job.) Maybe this latest will be enough for property owners to begin organizing. How much in property taxes is someone supposed to pay on a $250,000 home? $7,000/year? $8,000/year? We’re heading to $10,000!

posted by: TheMadcap on May 30, 2018 10:11am Good news everyone, even if you went your rent is sure as heck increasing the next time you renew your lease.

posted by: Noteworthy on May 30, 2018 10:22am Holy Harp and Play It Again Sam - Oops, Harp Notes: 1. This budget reflects Mayor Harp’s philosophy. Beat it out of taxpayers. 2. As a state senator - Harp voted for two of the largest tax hikes - multi-billion dollar increases - in state history including starting to tax the hospitals which then increased the cost our healthcare - and drove the cost of a driver’s license to $92. 3. At the time, she claimed the state didn’t have a spending problem, it had a revenue problem. Sound familiar? And of course, the state increased spending at the same time breaking the spending cap and self-righteously claiming it didn’t violate the public’s vote trading an income tax for spending caps because she and her fellow senators didn’t approve of it. 4. The hammer fell heaviest on the middle class - the poor were given another layer of welfare via the EITC. The rich felt it but not much. 5. In the current budget - spending goes up again, not down. Harp claims there’s a revenue problem not a spending problem. Publicly she claims it’s the state’s fault. However, that’s a lie - the city is essentially flat funded from the state. 6. Solution: Play It Again - Monster tax hikes that ignores the public’s testimony, ignores the adverse impact on our families, ignores that a tax increase will decrease our property values. 7. There is an arrogance that comes with power. It is manifested in Harp’s “need” for a chauffeur and body guard; the demand for a new SUV; the pay raise; handing out a $20K raise to her favorite pet employee - and damning those who fall out of favor. She demands department heads hire more pets - when they don’t, she forces them out. She goes on a taxpayer funded trip to China. Did she fly first class? 8. Harp can’t do it alone though - she is aided and abetted by the ignorant and the lazy, by those seduced by power - including the BOA president and all her acolytes, her busy bees who are too incompetent and self centered to find thoughtful, rational cuts.

posted by: Lisa I am appalled by the board. It is the easy way to put a bandaid on a very deep problem. Shame on them for not being able to make it tough decisions and actually come up with real solutions. I don’t know how they can sleep.

posted by: BetweenTwoRocks The City won’t or can’t make the hard decisions, to its taxpayers will have to. Not a single Alder presented a serious idea about how to reduce spending beyond trivial changes. I just bought a house in New Haven last year and now my taxes are going up 11%! For what? For a new DPW building? Why would ANYONE be encouraged to buy a house in New Haven? Or build new developments? When they know the City is incapable of making tough choices. Not even a trivial 2-3% drop in spending so taxpayers wouldn’t be burdened quite so badly. Nope, sorry, taxpayers. You pay for it all. We can’t cut any jobs, we can’t make any concessions. Brutal. This is what happens when half the Alders only give a shit about fighting Yale for UNITE HERE and have no care one way or the other for regular citizens.

posted by: Ozzie on May 30, 2018 10:51am Democratic playbook Tax,Tax,Tax !!!!

posted by: manofthepeople on May 30, 2018 10:52am This just makes me sick. Please, stop spending money you don’t have and taking it out of the pocket of the taxpayers.

posted by: FacChec on May 30, 2018 11:05am Here are the accomplishments achieved by the BOA. 1. The changes recommended by the Finance Committee didn’t change the Mayor’s requested $547,089,945.. 11% tax increase. 2. Recommended establishing two task forces made of city employees, alders and community stakeholders to study and address a couple of the city’s biggest issues— pensions and health benefits for city employees.

Note: (No new study on how to reduce spending and deficits in the coming years).

Their so called deliberations, held in an off-line public restricted caucus, was strictly a repeat performance of the immature rational constructed at the finance committee level. In spite of the three public hearing and the two FRAC committee briefings, this gang of 10 failed to heed the message. Clearly they are more interested in preserving an out of control spending shopping spree by the Mayor, then, to oversee taxpayer money including their own. It is politically stupid to spend other people’s money responsively, but to spend their own money with the same reckless abandonment is downright complicit in the city’s assault on taxpayer’s financial interest. This budget was not only about excessive General fund spending build on false calculations concerning the amount of money received from the state of CT. But also there never was a 5M cut in state aid, the Mayor and the Finance committee knows this full well. This budget is also about the alder’s approval of Capital budget spending increases of $16M to $59.065, 000, which exceeds the debt service payment by $2M or $57.972, 569.

The Approval of amend. #4, a ($50M bond for the 3rd yr. which carried no explanation of use or, any debate on the matter. The same increases were approved without debate for Licenses permits & fees, increases to the special fund budget where potential and existing GF employees are hidden. This is the work of rank armatures who play the game of children’ s checkers. The Jig is up, it’s time to clean house top to bottom.

posted by: JohnTulin on May 30, 2018 11:11am These people need to pay the price. Harass Harp and the alders everywhere you see them in public. Shame them out of town.

posted by: Morgan Barth on May 30, 2018 11:46am I will join the chorus—how disappointing! I can’t believe that neither the mayor’s office nor the BofA used this budget to explore potential savings, to ask hard questions about the size and scope of city government, the size and efficiency of the city’s workforce, etc, etc. There is just no accountability - the board appears to feel more accountable to several hundred city employees (and their bargaining units) than it is to several thousand residents and taxpayers. Who can be surprised when BoA elections are routinely one with voter turnout in the low three-digits. (While not directly related to this budget, I look forward to using the next charter revision as an opportunity to try again to shrink the BoA down to 5 - 9 highly accountable reps rather than 30 completely unaccountable and mostly disengaged members.) I love New Haven. I believe in cities…I want to believe in this city. I love my walkable neighborhood; I love the community and the diversity. Yet, at some point it becomes hard to justify the costs when it’s not hard to find similarly priced homes in towns w/ better services, better schools and way lower taxes. I told myself I would never leave and never be a part of flight to the suburbs…but I can only absorb so many tax increases before it simply is not worth it and bad for my family. And lastly—people - this is why we need to ENCOURAGE more development in NH - to increase our tax base. Every other time I read the NHI I see another example of the BoA, management teams, or cranky NIMBYers jamming up another development project - big and small - over stupid stuff like parking, design, minor code variances, etc. Enough of this nonsense. MB

posted by: opin1 on May 30, 2018 11:53am Painful and disappointing. The past 15-20 years, the city has seen an unprecedented economic boom. Think of all the economic activity that has happened here in the past 15-20 years. Think of all the businesses and buildings that didn’t exist 20 years ago, that exist now. Think of all the building permit fees, the additions to the grand list, and the general business activity that exists here now that didn’t before. How come tax payers have not been able to benefit from this at all? Why are our taxes higher now than they were 15-20 years ago? Are we receiving more and better services? Its like we won the lottery and our politicians have squandered all of the winnings. Everyone in power is there for a cause, and none of them are there to represent tax payers.

We need to vote for people who are fiscally responsible. (And just to be clear, I am a liberal Democrat by most definitions). Thanks to Festa and the few others who truly do represent the average residents/tax-payers.

posted by: ClassActionToo on May 30, 2018 12:01pm Taxation without representation is very bad. In New Haven, taxation with representation is much, much worse. Throw these bums out!

posted by: Annie on May 30, 2018 12:16pm I had lunch yesterday with a good friend who, in a former life, was the Director of Economic Development in Stamford, CT. He was the only one in the department in those days, and managed to get a hell of a lot done. Things started falling apart when he was assigned a secretary and an assistant. He’s no longer in Stamford, but the department has grown to 20 people, who together, accomplish less than a small fraction of what he was able to accomplish alone. There’s a Jevons Paradox at work between money and consequences, as there always has been, and will be. As every moral hero is wont to do, adding the gross income of the top 400 Americans together churns a fetid squalor. The sum stench equals the total revenues of France or of Italy, and a little less than 1/2 US revenues. Mon Dieu, alors! Let’s say you could grab all that cash from the super rich (not just tax revenue, but the whole kit and caboodle) and dump it into the US checking account, practically doubling US coffers, that would be awesome, right!!! If you think one dime would trickle down to the poor slobs at the bottom, you are wrong. Like the Stamford, CT example, all of that money will go to inflate zillions of already over-inflated departments, pay for more and more beyond any imaginable need gigantic $280 billion submarines, and a million other expenses that don’t get anything more accomplished at the Federal, State, and Municipal levels, than the day, as President Kennedy famously said, when Thomas Jefferson did most everything alone. Throwing money at anything, never, ever, works out. Jeff Bezos 1994

Related image Jeff Bezos 2018

Related Image Sorry, images don’r display, but Google it yourself.

posted by: FacChec on May 30, 2018 12:49pm It’s time to call them out and deal with them at the polls: The Mayor, Darrel Jones -comptroller, FINANCE COMMITTEE

Hamilton (Chair), Marchand (Vice-Chair), Colon, Santiago, DeCola, Morrison, Walker-Myers, Festa, Reyes, Hurt, Decker. Non- committee members - Roth, Clyburn, Festa and Decker do not draw a pass, they voted to approve each and every monthly financial report which showed a growing debt service payment , pension and medical payments spiraling out of control. They approved applying refunded bond sales to current GF debt rather than to debt service repayments, which has a growing overall city debt over $3B. Also called out are: EDUCATION COMMITTEE:

Greenberg (Chair), Reveiz (Vice-Chair), Edmonds-Sepulveda, Brackeen, Catalbasoglu, Haywood, Ortiz.

This committee sleeps through a city dept. running up a 14.5M deficit without inquiry. Both committees vote in committee and in full BOA meetings with a voice vote and not roll call vote, so as to hide their vote from the public. Time out.. These people need to be taken behind the wood shed and re-indoctrinated on what it means to be overseers of taxpayer money, then thrown out.

posted by: 1644 on May 30, 2018 12:51pm By flat-lining the BoE budget, the BoA forced the BoE to do less with less, and generally be more efficient. It has, however, declined to make comparably service reductions on the city side. Moreover, this budget has a deficit of at least $6 million due to unspecified labor savings and payments by Yale and YNNH. If Harp feels that the present formula for Yale’s contribution is unfair, she should propose a new one. BTW, some quick pick-ups of cash might be: sell the old Strong School, sell Yale High Street between Elm and Chapel Street, or at least Library Street.

posted by: jim1 on May 30, 2018 1:07pm Could some other Dem. run for mayor and about 25 alderman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These tax increases are going to kill the town.

If I was going to move a business into town, I would think twice…..

posted by: wendy1 on May 30, 2018 1:33pm I spent an hour in front of 55 Whitney with bullhorn and then I gave personal hell to Bruce A. who I noticed walking on Whitney. I spoke to 2 well paid pols and told them they should be ashamed and went home to call the five who voted against it and say thank you. I went to 2 of the public hearings and I did NOT vote for Toni. My own alder, prez of Local 33, voted for it. We should not take this lying down.

posted by: Ulmus Civitas on May 30, 2018 1:40pm What can we do as residents? How do we align to change our city for the better? Is voting enough; will that make a difference? Can we make a group/website/meetup/forum for change. I’m sincerely asking and will be happy to help get the ball rolling. Email at my screen name above at gmail.com.

posted by: JohnTulin on May 30, 2018 1:55pm Gary Doyens for mayor. http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/budget_critic_proposes_10m_in_cuts/

posted by: Nathan on May 30, 2018 1:58pm “Since every member of the Board of Alders is either a Democrat or unaffiliated and caucuses with the Democrats, the private caucus de facto functions as a closed-door session…” - and there you have it, folks. Until there is radical change to the (effectively) one-party system in New Haven, there will be no real alternative policies. And to be clear, the actions of a fiscally responsible Republican majority BoA would likely generate as much or more pitchfork waving from residents, since significant cuts across all spending categories possible would likely be required, because sweet deals with various unions for pensions and benefits across the decades of Democratic rule in the city can’t be undone retroactively.

posted by: New Haven Urbanism “Total assessed net taxable real property grew from $5,062,089,349 [in 2016] to $5,534,133,256 [in 2017], a 9.33 percent leap. Net taxable personal property grew 3.36 percent, motor vehicles 4.82 percent. The assessed value of tax-exempt real property grew 21.08 percent to $37,326,843[.] Over the past five years, the grand list rose about 11 percent, when the city completed the last reassessment[.] Commercial properties rose about 16 percent in value, residential properties about 7 percent.” http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/grand_list_grows_8.4/ In 2017 the City collected an additional 8.4% in tax revenue over 2016. If your property value rose by more than 8.4% after last year’s revaluation, then you saw a tax increase last year. How is it possible that an additional 11% tax increase became necessary over the past year? I thought for sure that the 11% increase was a highball amount originally put out there with the knowledge that something like a 5% increase would be proposed later as a “compromise”. I can’t believe the 11% increase is actually happening - that’s ridiculous.

posted by: alexguz2020 on May 30, 2018 4:01pm Just wanted to comment here to thank the few alders that chose to stop this, specifically Alders Abby Roth and Steven Winter. Lets support them. Now, I want to join the call of others to help vote all of the other alders out. #NOvember

@Gary Doyens, Thanks for being a strong advocate for working families. Someone please form a group to get rid of these people. I’ve had enough of the mayor and her compliant alders, they’re the ones to blame.

posted by: Bill Saunders on May 30, 2018 5:40pm Will you people please stop with the #NOvember…..... THIS YEAR is the Governors race—you had your chance to vote these alders out LAST YEAR, but no one had the gumption to run opposition candidates for the majority of races….now we are stuck with these knuckleheads until NEXT YEAR…. plan on at least one more tax increase in the meantime….. How about some Independent throwing their hat in the ring for Registrar of Voters…?

That is the only ‘local position’ on the ballot this November.

posted by: Noteworthy on May 30, 2018 6:54pm #NOvember Notes: 1. This is a one horse town. I don’t care which democrat is on the ballot this year - I won’t vote for them. They are part of the problem whether it’s the Registrar - who literally does nothing to promote voter registration or civic engagement. The Registrar’s office is nothing but an extension of the corrupt Democrat Town Committee. 2. I suggest we withhold the tax increase from our taxes - we can pay it into an escrow account but not give it to the city. 3. We can also protest at the homes of the alders. Let their neighbors and family know what we think of their sorry performance and malfeasance in office. 4. Anybody know a lawyer - I’d like to sue the city for violating its charter to balance its budget, a budget that hasn’t been balanced since Mayor Harp took office. Not paying the bills is not balancing a budget; not paying the appropriate amount into the pension fund is not a balanced budget and using the following years PILOT payment from Yale or others to balance the previous year’s expenses is also not balancing the budget. 5. It’s time to get aggressive as necessary to force the fake representatives into compliance with the law, the charter and our best interests instead of their own. 6. It’s also time for them to quit lying about the net effect of their cooked books approach to accounting.

posted by: Noteworthy on May 30, 2018 7:00pm And another action: People who own property - we should all appeal our home valuations. This tax increase will decrease the market value of our homes. We should all file appeals - let City Hall deal with that paperwork and hearing work load. They deserve it. Let’s research and take action.

posted by: Nadine H on May 30, 2018 7:10pm Add me to the chorus of those who are extremely disappointed in our alders over this vote. I watched some of the budget hearing last night thanks to the Independent’s FB live stream and I have to tell you just the way the vote was conducted was extremely frustrating & I encourage all who didn’t watch last night to watch above and see the disappointment at play… This property tax hike will literally drive some residents out of their homes as they will no longer be able to afford them, and if you think as a renter you’ve escaped the pain think again as your landlord will be passing the increase on to you in higher rent. I hear, have seen, and talked to my fellow neighbors, and said personally to my alders (the ones that show up) at management team meetings that this will adversely affect so many of us. My property taxes doubled with the last reval and I am very worried with this new tax hike. The FRAC committee has been warning of this for a while now, and at the last committee meeting I went to I saw only 4 alders and a few residents when the room should have been packed. The FRAC members are extremely knowledgeable and very willing and able to explain complicated budget issues in a way that is easy to understand. I highly recommend residents turn out for their next meeting, you can sign up for their email list here: https://bit.ly/2J0VJf1 Now rather than just vent in the comments, I’m with those commenters who have said how do we organize around this and affect change in a way that will show our elected officials our displeasure at their vote? I am more than ready to meet with any other residents who’d like to strategize around this issue and I’ll even offer up our community room as a place to meet. For those that are serious about wanting to do something, reach out to me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .

posted by: JCFremont on May 30, 2018 7:26pm Hey did you hear about Milford reducing their property taxes [again]? I guess that’s what happens when businesses want to move in and stay in a well run city and the people who move in can support themselves, and will also plan to stay more than 3 years. The restaurants are just as good. Final Vote “PRESERVES” Tax Hike. What an odd choice of verb in the headline.

posted by: Ulmus Civitas on May 30, 2018 8:30pm i just created http://newhaventaxpayers dot proboards dot com as a way for residents to exchange ideas and ways to make sense of this budget issue as well as other items we face. get on there and lets get the discussion going. thanks.

posted by: pjg43 on May 30, 2018 8:31pm Keep Voting Democrat folks.

posted by: Ulmus Civitas on May 30, 2018 8:34pm @noteworthy. yes to all items mentioned. how do we appeal home valuations? i am all in just for the paperwork for them to deal with. we cannot just sit back complacently and take this 11% hike after getting hit with the valuations last year. when does it end? contact me blanx27@gmail or newhaventaxpayers dot proboards dot com

posted by: Syne on May 30, 2018 8:37pm The hundreds of dollars in increased property tax I will owe if this tax hike goes through will come out of the funds I need for home repairs. This once beautiful old house in which I live will further decline in value.

posted by: southwest on May 30, 2018 9:11pm I believe most of these people are clueless who seat on the board of Alders and make theses irrational decisions when it comes to certain major concerns like taxes and other line items in the city..for most of them it’s like I’m and alder and I can grandstand and do what I want without any consideration to the taxpayers…how many of theses Alders actually own homes..? Next questions do they actually have any knowledge on what a budget is and how it work?? Have they every consider cutting back on spending..that’s a No I’m sure….they spend like they just hit the biggest slot machine pay out. at Fox Wood…when you listen to their conversations it’s obviously they are clueless!! Well electron is coming so this is where one show their disipointment in their choice!!

posted by: Sharon Lovett-Graff on May 30, 2018 9:51pm See this link to compare mill rates. http://www.ct.gov/opm/cwp/view.asp?a=2987&q=385976.

posted by: Bill Saunders on May 30, 2018 10:20pm Noteworthy, I know that my appraisal from last year went up directly because of the development happening on the Rte 34 Corridor. All of the ‘land’ on my block increased by 200%. Similar patterns repeat elsewhere surrounding new developments…..

This is the unacknowledged ‘tax increase’ in the fantasy world of last year’s Harp “Tax Break”... My taxes went up by 20% last year just because of ‘bad proximity’.

This new 11% add-on is just about bad management that’s been kicking the can down the road…. Thank God I don’t own a car! An extra 10% tax there too!!!!!

(that one’s for you, BtR) There needs to be some legal mechanism to give the homeowners in the vicinity of ‘economic development’ some sort of ‘tax phase-in—in the current system they feel the direct tax impact first, while the developers get seven year’s grace….. (at least).

posted by: THREEFIFTHS on May 30, 2018 10:42pm posted by: pjg43 on May 30, 2018 8:31pm Keep Voting Democrat folks. Left Wing.Right Wing.The Bird is still the same.

posted by: meredithmiller on May 30, 2018 10:43pm If only Marchand had actually listened to the public testimony instead of obsessing over his time remaining cards…

posted by: wendy1 on May 30, 2018 11:10pm Time for revolution.

posted by: TheMadcap on May 30, 2018 11:37pm Well, at least my alder voted against it. Thanks Kim.

posted by: olesailorman on May 31, 2018 3:18am There is an upcoming Alder hearing on June 6th about how to increase affordable housing in the city. This budget increase makes a joke of that concept. The tax increase will increase the rent for an average tenant from $35 to $50/month. Not one of the alders proposed looking at the major and the long term budget wrecker that New Haven faces: escalating and unfunded pension costs. Mayor Harp and none of the Alders are willing to buck the city employee unions. Unless the pension for at least new hires is gradually changed to a 401K type of retirement system, things will only get worse. When they changed their titles from Aldermen or Alderwomen to simply Alders, in a way I thought that was appropriate. An alder is a tree or a bush. There’s sure a lot of dead wood in City Hall. As some of the other posters have mentioned, few of the alders have the sophistication needed to truly understand the issues which the city faces.

posted by: Ozzie on May 31, 2018 8:07am @ Noteworthy good luck appealing your taxes I did it back in the 90’s and the Cities position was Denied, Denied , Denied but I got a Lawyer and took the next step ( taking them to court ) After 1800 dollars in Lawyer fees I did get a judgement in my favor lowering my taxes 600 a year . So after 3 years I basically broke even , but I did get great satisfaction out of fighting City Hall

posted by: THREEFIFTHS on May 31, 2018 8:45am Why do you all say you are extremely disappointed.Again.Did you not vote these Judas Goats in.And will keep on voting these same Judas Goats in? The way to fix this is to fight for the the system of Proportional representation.

posted by: Ulmus Civitas on May 31, 2018 9:32am @ozzie what lawyer did you use and on what grounds did you argue the tax valuation? If the city received large numbers of people filing suits maybe they will wake up or at least pay attention.

posted by: Noteworthy on May 31, 2018 10:08am AWOL Alders Notes: Notice how not one alder nor the mayor holds a press conference to talk about this double digit tax hike - not one of them will come on this forum to discuss or defend it. They are mute-ants.

posted by: Ozzie on May 31, 2018 10:56am Blanx , New Haven use to schedule contestment hearings one month during the year ( maybe February but that was over 20 years ago ) if your able to navigate the City website you might find when you could do it . You will naturally be denied . Then take it to the next step.

You need to do your home work and find comparable houses near yours then go on the Vision Appraisals web site and research values and taxes by address or homeowner everything is right on the site. Print everything out along with picture of properties.

As for the Lawyer he has since retired but I’m sure you could contact a real estate Lawyer and consult them.

posted by: Ozzie on May 31, 2018 11:04am Vision Government Solutions ( VGSI ) is the web site

posted by: concerned_neighbor on May 31, 2018 11:58am Well, this vote confirms that Mayor Harp and the BOA do not have the interests of the taxpayers at heart, nor do they have the best interests of the City. Instead they cater to non-taxpaying resident and the employees of the bloated bureaucracy driven by the various city and BOE unions. Wake up Sheeple! Do you think 11% is bad now? Just wait until next year! They will keep taxing and taxing until they drive everyone out of town and cry for a Hartford style bailout. This isn’t supposed to be a race to the bottom. Any hope that some reason would prevail has been dashed.

posted by: FacChec on May 31, 2018 2:37pm To the New Haven Board of Alders. For the fourth time:

https://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa/Documents/year/GT/2018GT-20180509_Estimates of Statutory Formula Grants to Towns Revised FY 19.pdf

Estimates of Statutory Municipal Aid in the Revised FY 19 Budget

(See pg. 22 FY 2018 Est.

Post-Holdbacks = $227,697,983 FY 19 Final = $226,733,005 Difference 18 from 19= minus$1M This is not the Minus $5M in state aid projected in the mayors budget which you approved. What you also approved is the Mayor’s failed projection to collect $3.6M from unions givebacks. Another failed $6.1M negotiated increase from Yale and other non-profits. And a failure to convert $3.1M in vacant positions to the general fund. These failures and more, including the capital budget and fee increases on your part, have contributed greatly to the double digit tax increase on property, personal property and automobiles. Your silence, especially from the President of the board of Alders to explain these failures is deafening, but you will hear the message when the cows (30) come back around!!!

posted by: FacChec on May 31, 2018 3:18pm Sorry link did not connect> Page 22_____________ Estimates of Statutory Municipal Aid in the Revised FY 19 Budget

Grantee

Middletown

Milford

Monroe

Montville

Morris

Naugatuck

New Britain

New Canaan

New Fairfield

New Hartford



FY 2018 Est.

Post-Holdbacks Original FY 19 Final FY 2019

New Haven - $ 227,697,983 $226,464,510 $226,733,005

posted by: wendy1 on May 31, 2018 5:26pm I am offering 20bucks/hour for help demonstrating in front of cityhall or 55 Whitney. I joined taxpayer chatroom also.

I asked Legal Aid for help and they said they doubted they could do anything but would let me know….maybe….in terms of a lawsuit. I believe a sitin at the mayor’s office daily would help. I need joiners available days. This is a citywide crisis.

posted by: yim-a on June 1, 2018 6:50am wondering, what percent of NH electorate are home owners, what percent are renters? Renters seem have much less skin in the game, in terms of property tax, so less leverage on alders or mayors. Perhaps elected officials more concerned in providing services than budgeting prudently for them.

posted by: Peter99 on June 1, 2018 7:04am They will only listen after we vote them out of office. Vote for anyone except a Democrat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted by: Noteworthy on June 1, 2018 11:25am Renter and Voter Anger Notes: 1. Renters have less skin in the game because market forces also impact the rent. However, no landlord can absorb an 11% property tax hike, pay for maintenance, pay the city for inspections, absorb reval, absorb increases in insurance costs and cover an vacancy expense too. No other expense a landlord faces goes up 11% a year. 2. Renters can be harnessed though - because things they use or fines they face will increase. Parking fines are rising to $25 - that’s more than many make in two hours of labor. 3. Golf, skating and basic recreational activities are increasing. 4. And car taxes increased too. Add the sneakiness and deception on the “need” for the double digit tax hike while the NHPS are closing and consolidating their schools.

posted by: newhavenishome on June 1, 2018 12:55pm Agree Noteworthy-increases in taxes usually are accompanied by services remaining at current levels or increasing. New Haven is charging more, and decreasing already limited services. Schools closing, park and rec. offerings are horrible, all fees are increasing, services for seniors are not that great, inept city employees causing lawsuits and additional expenses.

The BOA really needs to pay for this. We need to organize now. We should be represented by a board that is not beholden to unions first. Do they all have the same re-election schedule? If not, what bunch is up first?

posted by: RobotShlomo on June 1, 2018 1:15pm Very simply; They want to raise taxes by eleven percent. Where are we supposed to get it? Wages have been flat for years. You’re asking for money we don’t have. Oh, but you’re asking for it in an off year when there’s no election. As the Church Lady from SNL used to say; “My, isn’t that convenient?”.

posted by: John R. McCommas on June 1, 2018 4:26pm Will the last person who leaves New Haven please turn off the lights?

posted by: wendy1 on June 1, 2018 7:04pm Day # 3—-civil obedience against tax hike which is crazy like our dear leader,

Called cityhall, cityhell…sang “MoreMoney” to Armored cash truck guys picking up the day’s tax take at 165 Church ST….got ignored by Anthony Campbell…found no takers for sit in upstairs…..and heckled some more pale Yaler’s. Some jerk in the crisis chatroom doesn’t like my MO…well. I dont see or hear him DOING something while NH gets flushed down the toilet…and now I’m in trouble for rescuing the fish. Thank you Cordalie Benoit. LCI, by the way, has been relabeled DCI—-D for Dying.

This has all cured my writer’s block.

posted by: Bill Saunders on June 6, 2018 1:37am I remember being at the Alders meeting about the Mayor’s Salary Increase back in December. Abby Roth showed up as Alder-Elect and railed against the raise.

Al Paolillo was fantastic as well as the chair of the Committee. But the votes are made ‘en masse’ my shill’s of the system, not free thinkers with citizens in mind…. I commend Abby once again, and urge more real voices involvement in the one-sided political system here. Someone needs to start charging the dialogue….besides on these ignored comment threads….. Abby has a real voice.

With a little Gerrymandering, she could be my Alder….....

posted by: wendy1 on June 6, 2018 8:54pm Day #5——Will you vote for Toni, again???? I never voted for her regime. Still pissed and my lawyer said there may be an increase in 2019 as well. Tonight “affordable housing committee” dog and pony show at cityhall. I personally heckled most of the committee and their pathetic sycophant audience except for Charles who like me NEVER gives up. I gave him a hug for the first time. Are we just going to lie down like our rescue pitbulls and take the abuse??? Can any of you afford this tax ??