6.4 Percent Tax Increase Approved In Hamden Council’s Budget

HAMDEN, CT — At the end of a meeting that lasted six-and-a-half hours, the Hamden Legislative Council approved a budget Thursday night that would raise the town’s property taxes by 6.4 percent, according to the New Haven Independent.

The Independent reports the budget, which was approved by an 8-3 vote, would raise the mill rate by 3.14 mills to 51.98 for the fiscal year starting July 1. The budget makes deep cuts to several departments, including cutting positions at the police and fire departments, forces the Board of Education to find $2.55 million in savings and cuts the town’s bulk trash pickup entirely, according to the Independent.

Mayor Curt Balzano Leng proposed a budget in April that would raise the mill rate to 49.84 mills. Leng has been frequently criticized by some council members for “overly optimistic” revenue projections and the council eliminated a $7 million debt restructure line at the urging of both Finance Director Curtis Eatman and financial adviser Barry Bernabe, according to the Independent.

Leng will now have to decide if he will sign off on the budget or veto it as he did last year. If he vetoes it, a two-thirds majority vote by the council is needed to override the veto or Leng’s budget will go into effect as it did last year.

“The budget passed by the Legislative Council tonight at midnight has serious flaws, despite well-intentioned efforts,” Leng said in a statement to Patch. “Higher taxation was the result of tonight’s vote, shockingly in addition to major cuts to public safety services and a hitting reduction of some key services our residents count on. This increase would be far more understandable if it meant lower taxes, but it did not.

“The council budget increases taxes higher and restricts services. It means less service for more cost. I’ll be reviewing every account with my finance team to ensure our residents are harmed less. My primary goal is to minimize tax increases and ensure our public safety and the council leaves me concerned with both.

“Education funding cut hard and flat-funded by council, potentially cutting vital education programs our students and parents rely on, including arts, sports and equity and diversity efforts, all which the board has been working on so hard and is so essential to our community and which makes parents want to invest in Hamden to have their kids come to our schools.

“We have a lot to review and much discussion to see if there isn’t a way to reduce this too high increase on our taxpayers and still protect services essential to Hamden’s present and future.”

For more on Thursday’s marathon budget meeting, visit the New Haven Independent here.