Fairytale Budget, Education High Priorities
By Robin Vinci at May 10, 2024 | 8:30 am | Print
Thursday night’s public hearing on the budget drew two factions. One who spoke about what a fictional budget the mayor had proposed and the other to advocate funds for education.
Outside the New Britain High Gymnasium, members of the Citizen’s Property Owners Association (CPOA) held up signs saying such things as “Stop the Lies” and “We want a budget; Not a Fairytale”.
CPOA President Nicholas Mercier said the group “is here to bring awareness to the fact that this budget is built on fictional revenue.”
Mayor Tim O’Brien proposed a $239,557,539 budget for 2013-14 representing an increase of about $7 million over the current year’s $232,484,709 spending plan.
The budget’s projected revenue showed fictional increases such as snow ban towing rising by 2,400 percent. According to the budget, parking tickets will rise from $300,000 to over $1 million in revenue and marriage licenses would go from about $6,000 to over $10,000 next year. In 2012 the City brought in just over $415,000 in conveyance taxes, yet the budget for 2014 calls for $1.5 million to be brought in.
Once inside, a bit over 50 people in attendance listened to speakers.
“The balance between revenues and expenditures is a delicate one. Having said that, we cannot keep kicking the funding issue for education down the road,” said the first speaker Sharon Beloin-Saavedra, school board president. “Every year we flat fund education is a year we go without services and supplies.”
O’Brien proposed a $22.6 million in aid package for education with most of the money coming from the issuance of bonds.
Much of it is to be used for books, computers, Smart Boards and overhead projectors. Some funds would also be used for school repair.
Francisco Cuin, president of the New Britain Latino Coalition said, “We are supporting the funding allocation from the Mayor for education. We think the benefit for Latino population is important.”
Carmelo Rodriguez, vice president of the New Britain Latino Coalition stated that the Mayor and Common Council said schools should be a first priority and they need to stick to that.
“I’m not too happy when I’m reading in the paper that everyone else is also getting a paycheck,” said Rodriguez. “It seems like this administration has an open checkbook.”
Steve Amato, owner of Amato’s Toy and Hobby said he was tired of the lies from government. He is also against the license fee to increase parking.
“What’s the end game? Is the point to make New Britain like Detroit, because we are going down that road,” said Amato. “It just seems that these numbers don’t make sense. We are all adults, just tell us the truth.”
Mercier told the Common Council that, “this current budget is a work of fiction. It is built on a foundation of lies.”
Ann Mikulak, lifelong resident and former CPOA President, said that she had reviewed budgets for 25 years.
“I believe Mayor O’Brien’s proposed budget is the worst I have ever seen,” said Mikulak. “It’s a mystical phenomenon.”
“We feel the Common Council should not just rubber stamp the proposed budget,” said Helene Groman who came to represent the elderly. “We, the elderly, can only pray that Mayor O’Brien and members of the Common Council have a Fairy Godmother with deep pockets because we are certainly going to need it.”
Beth Mazadorian spoke in favor of increasing of funding for education.
“I’m thrilled to hear that this year there are serious considerations toward funding our schools properly,” Mazadorian said.
Jane Rowe suggested the Common Council raise taxes if the City cannot pay for bonding education.
“I know the mayor has promised not to raise taxes and therefore he is not going to propose a budget with a tax increase, but you can,” said Roe. “If we can’t afford to buy text books for our children, then we need to pay more in taxes.”
Several other students, parents and children also asked the Common Council to support education.
Superintendent of Schools Kelt Cooper said he is committed to running the schools efficiently and effectively.
“We will use a zero based budgeting,” Cooper said. “We will design every school program from scratch.”
The last two speakers said they were for education, but were not happy with the budget otherwise.
“The revenue doesn’t seem to be based in reality,” said Peggy Riotte. “Taxes need to be increased. You don’t want to do that and I don’t want to see my taxes go up. I would cut things like $100,000 for a publicity firm that was a no bid contract. That is a lot of money. $100,000 for the school library would buy a lot of books.”
“What are you going to do when the projections of revenue does not come to fruition?” said Jason Racette. “You would be living in a vacuum if you think the economy is taking off. How do you look yourself in the mirror and vote for a budget that is a myth? If you vote for this budget, what is going to happen in the middle of the year when we need more money? How about cutting some spending.”
The Common Council must approve a budget by June 8.
