By Ann DeMatteo, Assistant Metro Editor
HAMDEN — One thing is for certain in next year’s town budget: There will be fewer employees and a reduction of services.
“The question is: What people and what services?”
That was the question Mayor Scott D. Jackson posed to a citizen roundtable Thursday night at the M.L. Keefe Community Center.
It was Jackson’s first budget conversation with the public. Another session will take place 7-9 p.m. Thursday at the Miller Senior Center, 2901 Dixwell Ave.
Because of the difficulties facing the town in the preparation of the 2010-11 budget, Jackson wanted to reach out to the residents to gather their ideas. Jackson explained that the biggest driver in the upcoming budget is rising medical insurance costs.
“If we did nothing to try to reduce medical costs, we’re looking at an increase of $7 (million) to $8 million, roughly 2 mills,” Jackson said.
The current budget is $175 million, $125 million of which is funded through taxes. The tax rate is 29.5 mills. Based on town department requests and recommendations for medical and pension costs, the tax rate would jump to 37 mills.
“That is not doable,” said Jackson, who wants to present a budget to the Legislative Council next month that “doesn’t rip out the essential core of Hamden and its services, but doesn’t tax people out of town.”
Except for a suggestion from resident John Melillo to reduce the number of deputy chiefs in the Police Department from three to one, the session didn’t generate ideas for budget cuts. Instead, the nine residents who attended learned more about what goes into making the budget from Jackson and his chief aide, Curt Balzano Leng.
“I liked it a lot. It was more questions than suggestions,” said resident Michael Lockett.
Residents asked about town operations, and gave Jackson the impression they supported schools and libraries.
The cost to regionalize services and a lack of state funding were also discussed.
Jackson said after the meeting that what he heard from residents is that they support the schools and libraries.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Budget Work Underway
By Ann DeMatteo, Assistant Metro Editor
HAMDEN — While working to resolve a potential deficit in this year’s budget, Mayor Scott D. Jackson is also seeking public comment for the next budget.
The first public conversation on the 2010-11 budget will be held 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the M.L. Keefe Community Center, 11 Pine St. Another forum will be held 5-7 p.m. March 4 at the Social Hall of the Miller Senior Center, 2901 Dixwell Ave.
Jackson said he wants to give residents the chance to tell him their priorities for fiscal 2010-11. In previous years, public input hasn’t been taken until after the Legislative Council received the mayor’s budget.
“By cultivating these conversations earlier in the budget season, I can focus my budget based on the service needs of Hamden’s citizens,” Jackson said.
With regard to this year, officials are controlling expenditures and the expense side of the budget should result in a surplus because of the controls according to Jackson’s chief aide Curt Balzano Lang.
Some revenues, especially those from the state, have not yet materialized and that could play a role in a potential deficit. There are also potential shortages in several accounts.
Meanwhile, the town’s medical self-insurance fund could be at least $5 million in the hole this year. The 2009-10 budget listed $22 million for medical self-insurance, but expenses could now be more than $27 million, according to Leng.
The money for medical self-insurance is passed through the operating budget, but is an internal service account that is supplemented with employee contributions. Additional money to cover the deficit does not exist.
“The two driving problems with this year’s budget are a drastically increased medical self-insurance expense. We won’t know until the end of year, but it’s millions more than expected,” Leng said.
Higher medical insurance costs, more employee claims and more prescriptions filled caused the jump. The town switched to medical self-insurance in the 1990s.
“It’s a higher medical year and the trend is showing next year isn’t going to be any better,” Leng said.
There also is an internal deficit in the fund of about $6.5 million because annual contributions have fallen short of needs.
“The mayor is working very hard on ways to reduce the overall cost with a host of different possibilities,” Leng said.
Some of those options may take effect before the end of the fiscal year. The changes will also be reflected in the 2010-11 budget.
The challenges for next year’s budget include maintaining the pension fund and controlling spending as much as possible, Leng said. “The mayor is very hesitant to pass on a significant tax increase to residents who are struggling with the other economic problems that every person is facing,” Leng said.
“But to balance a budget that has such significant commitments is going to require additional revenue and we’re not ready yet to say where that revenue is going to come from.”
The budget has to be presented by mid-March.
HAMDEN — While working to resolve a potential deficit in this year’s budget, Mayor Scott D. Jackson is also seeking public comment for the next budget.
The first public conversation on the 2010-11 budget will be held 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the M.L. Keefe Community Center, 11 Pine St. Another forum will be held 5-7 p.m. March 4 at the Social Hall of the Miller Senior Center, 2901 Dixwell Ave.
Jackson said he wants to give residents the chance to tell him their priorities for fiscal 2010-11. In previous years, public input hasn’t been taken until after the Legislative Council received the mayor’s budget.
“By cultivating these conversations earlier in the budget season, I can focus my budget based on the service needs of Hamden’s citizens,” Jackson said.
With regard to this year, officials are controlling expenditures and the expense side of the budget should result in a surplus because of the controls according to Jackson’s chief aide Curt Balzano Lang.
Some revenues, especially those from the state, have not yet materialized and that could play a role in a potential deficit. There are also potential shortages in several accounts.
Meanwhile, the town’s medical self-insurance fund could be at least $5 million in the hole this year. The 2009-10 budget listed $22 million for medical self-insurance, but expenses could now be more than $27 million, according to Leng.
The money for medical self-insurance is passed through the operating budget, but is an internal service account that is supplemented with employee contributions. Additional money to cover the deficit does not exist.
“The two driving problems with this year’s budget are a drastically increased medical self-insurance expense. We won’t know until the end of year, but it’s millions more than expected,” Leng said.
Higher medical insurance costs, more employee claims and more prescriptions filled caused the jump. The town switched to medical self-insurance in the 1990s.
“It’s a higher medical year and the trend is showing next year isn’t going to be any better,” Leng said.
There also is an internal deficit in the fund of about $6.5 million because annual contributions have fallen short of needs.
“The mayor is working very hard on ways to reduce the overall cost with a host of different possibilities,” Leng said.
Some of those options may take effect before the end of the fiscal year. The changes will also be reflected in the 2010-11 budget.
The challenges for next year’s budget include maintaining the pension fund and controlling spending as much as possible, Leng said. “The mayor is very hesitant to pass on a significant tax increase to residents who are struggling with the other economic problems that every person is facing,” Leng said.
“But to balance a budget that has such significant commitments is going to require additional revenue and we’re not ready yet to say where that revenue is going to come from.”
The budget has to be presented by mid-March.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
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