Hamden Mayor Implements Spending Freeze For Fiscal Year 2017-18

HAMDEN, CT — For the fourth straight year, Mayor Curt Balzano Leng has implemented a spending freeze to close out the 2017-18 fiscal year. However, this year’s spending freeze is being implemented much earlier than previous years. The current fiscal year ends on June 30, 2018. Leng said it is “uncommon” to enact a spending freeze this early into the fiscal year, but it’s also critical for this year given the state’s ongoing budget difficulties.

The spending freeze goes into effect immediately and will affect all non-essential operating budget expenditures, according to Leng. The freeze will not cut any public health or safety operations, already approved services or programs, required maintenance, or contractual obligations.

Leng said the goal of the spending freeze is to “ensure a balanced end-of-fiscal-year budget while maintaining our high level of public services and governmental responsibilities to the residents of Hamden.” Leng implemented spending freezes in fiscal years 2015, 2016 and 2017, which helped ensure that each of those budget years closed balanced.

“While it is uncommon to enact a spending freeze this early into the fiscal year, it is critical that Hamden maintain especially prudent oversight of our expenditures as the State grapples with its ongoing budget difficulties,” Leng said in a statement. “We are working very hard to end Fiscal Year 2018 (ending June 30th 2018) with a balanced budget, which, if realized, will be Hamden’s 7th consecutive balanced budget – a strong representation of the responsible, consistent, and stable financial management this Administration has worked so hard to attain.”

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