Initial Branford Budget Request Increases Spending By 6.2 Percent

Originally written by Jack Kramer, Correspondent

BRANFORD, CT – If you are a taxpayer in Branford, you better hope that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget doesn’t get approved because you’ll be getting whacked big time.

Two recent nights of budget hearings by the Board of Finance drove that point home.

Here’s the bottom line.

Currently, the requested budgets from all of the town of Branford’s various departments for the fiscal year that begins this coming July comes in at $112.424 million dollars.

That’s a 6.2 percent increase over current year expenditures. To sign up for Branford breaking news alerts and more, click here.

But when you add in that Malloy’s budget would eliminate about $2.5 million in education and special education funding that the town currently receives from the state – and – that Branford would be responsible for picking up one-third the cost of teacher retirement costs for Branford teachers, another $2.7 million, the actual increase in taxes would be 7.3 percent.

Board of Finance Chairman Joseph Mooney said the finance board will present its recommended budget to the Representative Town Meeting on March 27th.

But, he stressed, that will only begin the budget-making process, stating there is a lot of time between now and May, when the final budget for the town is slated to be completed.

Mooney added that in the weeks ahead, “We should also have some indication about what’s going on in Hartford” with the governor’s proposed budget.

Malloy’s $41 billion, two-year budget, which tackles a projected $1.7 billion deficit, takes money away from 131 towns, including Branford, in the state, and gives more money to 31 municipalities – mostly poorer cities and towns.

The good news, town and state politicians who represent towns like Branford have repeatedly stated, is that it isn’t likely that Malloy’s budget will pass as presented for the very reason that politicians who represent towns who are losing funding aren’t likely to vote for it.

(Editor's Note: This story first ran previously but here it is again in case you missed it.)