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MINUTES
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING CITY COUNCIL & WPC AUTHORITY
AND THE BOARD OF FINANCE
MAY 7, 2013
A SPECIAL JOINT MEETING of the City Council & WPC Authority and the Board of Finance was held in the City Hall Auditorium on Tuesday, May 7, 2013.
Present were Mayor Ryan Bingham, Corporation Counsel Ray Rigat, City Councilors Gregg Cogswell, Elinor Carbone, Paul Samele, Gerald Zordan, Marie Soliani and Drake Waldron, Board of Finance members Mark Bushka, Thomas Scoville, Laurene Pesce, Brian Paganini, Frank Rubino and Bill Lamoin, along with Comptroller Alice Proulx and Board of Education members Karl Brady, James Thibault, Ellen Hoehne, Ken Traub, Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Kloczko, and Business Services Administrator Danielle Batchelder.
Mayor Bingham called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
PRESENTATION
Mayor Bingham said Department Heads requested a budget of $52,255,803, a solid number to start from. The budgets were efficient, effective and tried to reduce costs while recognizing the needs of their departments. He said this was a 2.3 million dollar increase, or 4.72% over last year's budget. Contractual and suggested increases for pension really drove the bulk of the increases in the City's budget, now $307,256. Our contractual wage increases total $439,511 and the suggested pension contributions were $927,570. Mayor Bingham said the fund balance will not be used to balance the budget this year, a necessity for our future bond obligations, helps us to remove any negative outlooks place on us by rating agencies.
This year we put an additional 1.2 million dollars back into the undesignated fund balance. Mayor Bingham said the largest City budget increase over the last five years was 2.8%. Overall, with the Board of Education budget included, we've maintained a spending pattern of almost less than inflation.
Mayor Bingham offered a mill rate history showing there weren't any huge spikes and it has been fairly flat within the last decade, ranging from a low of 32.5 prior to the revaluation, to a high of 35.32.
Information on several new grants was presented, and Mayor Bingham said he is always looking for new revenue sources or funds to help pay for projects. The City Council and the Board of Finance have to make those tough decisions, and find a balance between an appropriate level of taxation and appropriate level of service.
Mayor Bingham said that because the City Council, the Board of Public Safety and the Department Heads worked together to find savings and reductions, he was able to reduce the initial Department Head request by $1,669,662, and the City budget now stands at a 1.09% increase from last year.
Knowing what we do about revenue, he said, with a City budget at $50,442,613 and a Board of Education budget at $70,274,662, there would be a mill rate increase between 2.0 and 2.7 mills. Mayor Bingham requested 1.2 million in additional cuts with an additional $488,000 cut to the Board of Education budget which would bring the mill rate increase down to a little less than a mill. He said he anticipates close to $500,000 in revenue cuts from the State and there is a loss of revenue from bonds coming off leaving the City in a dire situation financially. Appropriate decisions have to be made to balance the budget while not decimating services, he said.
Mayor Bingham said the $874,000 figure is a pension issue that he is trying to work out, and will be proposed to the Board of Finance. He said he is looking for a reduction of $488,000 to the Board of Education budget and a $346,943 cut to the City budget, in addition to cuts that are already standing. He further asked that the Board of Finance provide him with a range for the mill rate increase that they are comfortable with.
POLICE DEPT.
On a motion by Councilor Carbone, seconded by Councilor Samele, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the addition of $66,356 in regular wages and $5076 in FICA for IT Staff replacing a uniformed police officer for a total Police Dept. budget of $8,074,087 or 1.96%.
INSURANCE
On a motion by Councilor Cogswell, seconded by Councilor Carbone, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve an $18,994 reduction in Worker's Compensation for a total insurance budget of $1,380,617
or .68%.
PENSION & BENEFITS
On a motion by Councilor Carbone, seconded by Councilor Zordan, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve a $91,975 reduction in the City Employee Retirement Fund, a $33,347 increase in the Police & Firemen's Pension Fund, and a $141,105 reduction in Health Insurance for a total pension & benefits budget of $12,248,955 or 10.95%.
CITYWIDE SERVICES:
Mayor Bingham explained that this includes equipment maintenance, vehicle replacement, and management operations. On a motion by Councilor Carbone, seconded by Councilor Cogswell, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve a total Citywide Services budget of $1,844,540.
Mayor Bingham said the budget now stands at $50,442.613.
Mr. Bushka asked what the reason was for such a large pension increase of 19%. Mayor Bingham said he forwarded the actuarial report, but to summarize, he said the market losses between 2007 and 2009 are smoothed over the next period of years. Each year we are requested to put in additional funding to make up for those losses.
Mrs. Pesce asked what the implications are of not fully funding the pension increases. Mayor Bingham said he will get that information.
ADJOURNMENT
On a motion by Councilor Carbone, seconded by Councilor Soliani, and unanimously approved, the meeting was adjourned at 5:24 p.m.
ATTEST: JOSEPH L. QUARTIERO, CMC CITY CLERK |
Respectfully Submitted, Carol L. Anderson, CCTC Asst. City Clerk |
MINUTES -- PUBLIC HEARING
CITY COUNCIL & WPC AUTHORITY AND THE BOARD OF FINANCE
MAY 7, 2013
A PUBLIC HEARING was held by the City Council & WPC Authority and the Board of Finance in the City Hall Auditorium on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 regarding the proposed Budget (except the School Budget) for the City of
Torrington for the fiscal period of July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2013.
Present were Mayor Ryan Bingham, Corporation Counsel Ray Rigat, City Councilors Gregg Cogswell, Elinor Carbone, Paul Samele, Gerald Zordan, Marie Soliani and Drake Waldron, Board of Finance members Mark Bushka, Thomas Scoville, Laurene Pesce, Brian Paganini, Frank Rubino and Bill Lamoin, along with Comptroller Alice Proulx and Board of Education members Karl Brady, James Thibault, Ellen Hoehne, Ken Traub, Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Kloczko, and Business Services Administrator Danielle Batchelder.
Mayor Bingham called the public hearing to order at 5:25 p.m.
City Clerk Joseph Quartiero read the legal notice.
Mr. Brian Cornell, current President and past Chief of the Torringford Volunteer Fire Department spoke about the Fire Services budget. He noted that Torringford raises about $28,000 a year through their Annual Fund, Wine Tasting, Christmas Tree Sale and Car Show. He said the commissioners at the Torringford Fire Department are concerned that the regular annual $25,834.33 stipend is being slashed this year to $17,000, a 30% reduction in revenue. He also noted that their parking lot needs to be replaced or rehabilitated and their 56-year old building needs an electrical upgrade.
On behalf of Torringford Fire Department and his associates from the other departments, Mr. Cornell said he is respectfully requesting that a stipend of $17,000 be increased to $21,000 which is still about a $4,000 or $5000 budget reduction.
Mayor Bingham closed the public hearing at 5:38 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT
On a motion by Councilor Carbone, seconded by Councilor Waldron, and unanimously approved, the meeting was adjourned at 5:38 p.m.
ATTEST: JOSEPH L. QUARTIERO, CMC
CITY CLERK
Respectfully Submitted,
Carol L. Anderson, CCTC
Asst. City Clerk
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