Wallingford Mayor Vetoes Budget Approved By Town Council

WALLINGFORD, CT — Wallingford Mayor William Dickinson Jr. announced Monday that he has vetoed the budget recently adopted by the Town Council. The council approved a budget last week that kept the tax rate flat at 29.19 mills for the 2020-21 fiscal year.

The council achieved a zero-percent tax increase by reducing Dickinson’s proposed budget by $1.28 million through a series of amendments, the Meriden Record-Journal previously reported. Dickinson's proposed budget called for a 1.06-percent tax increase.

Dickinson’s budget would increase the mill rate by .31 mills and represented an increase of $57 in taxes for the average residential property owner, the Record-Journal reported.

Dickinson notified council members on Monday that he was vetoing the budget.

“Whether in ‘good’ times or ‘bad’ times, it is important for us to be firm in our commitments to core values and principles,” Dickinson wrote in a letter to council members. “A mission to keep taxes as low as feasible, and even attain a ‘no tax’ increase, is appropriate. Reduction of expenditures in the budget is necessary in order to achieve that purpose. However, removal of over $800,000 of funds regularly dedicated to the capital reserve fund, a standalone fund used for current and future capital needs, breaches a duty to plan budgets on a multiyear horizon. Reducing the revenue that annually funds the Capital and Non-Recurring fund will negatively affect our ability to plan for and implement capital improvements. In addition, this means that Wallingford Electric Division money is being used to pay for operating costs of Town government.

“For these reasons, pursuant to Chapter III, Section 7 of the Wallingford Town Charter, the budget adopted by the Wallingford Town Council on June 9, 2020 is vetoed.”

The council could override Dickinson's veto with at least seven votes. If the council fails to override the veto, Dickinson’s original budget will go into effect.