Town Manager Ron Van Winkle presented the proposed 2011-2012 fiscal year budget to the Town Council complete with a proposed increase of 5.8% over the current budget. That is equivalent to approximately $308 in additional taxes to a $250,000 home assessed at 70 percent. Van Winkle claimed “we are across the deep abyss” known as the recession.
Personally, I'd like to know what he's smokin' because there is no real recovery yet. The housing sector is a mess nationwide, businesses continue to file for bankruptcy and companies are leaving CT, among other indicators. Oh but wait, West Hartford MUST be doing OK since so many residents are on the government payroll. They actually don't live in the real world called the private sector.
The state of CT has an enormous budget gap to fill, and the economy is not looking too terribly good if you dig through the numbers. So exactly where is this recovery Van Winkle speaks of? and why is West Hartford raising taxes over 5% when every other community is coming in with 0% or very very minimal increases?
West Hartford has wage increases in the amount of $1,631,935. Seventy-five percent of which is attributed to pay raises for public safety employees as a result of contract re-negotiations. It is truly amazing that these employees scored yet another increase in such a dire economy. Chalk another one up for the poor negotiating skills of Town Management.
Then there is the MDC. The Metropolitan Water District raised its tax on the town by a whopping 7.3 percent! We are literally flushing that money down a toilet.
West Hartford's largest source of revenue is property taxes (88.3%). Now the town keeps crowing about how wonderful their tax collection rate has been. It seems that as long as about 98.9 percent of the people pay their taxes that this gives the town carte blanche to keep raising taxes. Perhaps we will see no increases once people stop paying (i.e. are unable to pay) their taxes. For the record, A one tenth change in the collection rate equates to $198,682 in revenue.
As far as the education lobby goes, they are praying to Saint Dannel to keep Education Cost Sharing level so they can continue to reap their cool $16 million in revenue for education (12% percent of the Board of Education budget). And if Saint Dannel comes through with an increase in sales tax to 6.35%, West Hartford would get $236,000. Note to Town Council and BOE: Just keep raising those taxes. To hell with reining in spending!
In order to finance the proposed budget, an increase in current year property tax revenue of $9,745,077 or 5.2% is required. A mill rate of 40.14 is needed to finance the remaining property tax revenue, representing an increase of 1.76 mills or 4.6% from the current mill rate.
Come to the budget forum in Town Hall on April 6th.
.. and while entering the building - you may want to check out the pictures of the proposed new entryway into Town Hall, complete with a cool new revolving door! You see, we can waste money on stupid things like new entryways because your taxes are just going to go up to pay for them.
Article: West Hartford News
Budget in Brief - published by the Town of West Hartford
10 WH Responses:
way to over-react, buddy. This is the town manager's proposal. Like every year, it will be shaved down. I don't want to pay more taxes either but I think this town does a pretty good job with what they are dealing with. What cuts do you think they should make that will make a real impact on taxes?
I think its time for the town council and town manger to tell the BOE to come in with a 0 increase.For years the BOE never saw a program they did not like. Time for them to live in the real world..
See you at the polling stations
The Town Managers Budget?
RVW works for the Mayor, he follows directions.
The Mayor has refused to give the BOE any limits, this year he didn't evenm show up to beg the BOE to go easy as he did the last 2-3 years.
Ms. Kindle has had 2 years to prepare for this hole in the budget, she knew it was coming and chose to ignore it. Every year she claims to ask for suggestions of where she can cut the budget ask her how many she has put in place. The answer is simple "0".
At last weeks meet up with the Mayor she moved not an inch. The next stop are the votes by the BOE and Council. The BOE will accept the budget as is and the Council will approve it.
To his credit, The Mayor has done much cutting on the Town side and there is more he can do. And,they have to get serious about benefits and retirement programs that are unsustainable.
The Tax Payers are getting hit big time by the Feds, the State, and the Town. If Malloy gets the removal of the Property Tax Credit, the Homeowners will be looking at a $750-$1000 tax increase on just these 2 items. Now you want to add on Heating Oil, Gas, Food and Clothes. Oh yeah, the Feds conveniently leave these numbers out of their inflation figures.
Does anyone rremember how the Mayor promised us a 27 mil rate about 4 years ago?
Someone want to ask him where he made his calculation?
He's been going in the wrong direction ever since, at this rate how long before it reaches 54, double his prediction?
Is there a real possibility this will happen next year with the next reval?
The taxes go up and up every year,and the services go down. they took away vacum leaf service and taxes went up not down. Hartford Newington ,East hartford,Wethersfield, New Britian all have vacum pick up we dont. some of these towns are in worst shape than our and they still pick up the leafs
The BOE votes on its' budget tonight. Anon 3:37 want to bet their request won't change?
Kindle wants it all and the vote will be 5-7.
New tricks by the BOE.
How to make a 5.4% budget into a 2.8% budget.
The BOE presented a 5.4% growth in their budget, down from 5.6% due to some minor energy savings etc.
They then took the EXPECTED FUNDING from the State and calculated that in to the equation and called it a 2.8% budget. If they would also add in the expected funding from the Town they could claim the budget costs nothing.
Since when do you include funding on the expense side of a budget!
No matter how you look at it the BOE PRESENTED A BUDGET WITH 5.4% GROWTH!!!!!
Would love to talk to you about your blog and Blue Black Square. We have Streetworks set to design and build the New Quincy Center in Quincy. We are looking for highlights and low lights of W. Hartford's Blue Black Square development.
Thanks,
I would love to talk to you about your experience with Blue Black Square and it's effect on town finances if you have a minute.I am from Quincy, MA where Streetworks is promising us the world with it's plans to redevelop Quincy Center, and not everything seems right.
Thanks!
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