Officials List Challenges In "State Of New London" [VIDEO]

Both the mayor and president of the Board of Education said Wednesday that New London is facing a number of challenges in the coming years.

Mayor Daryl Finizio and Board of Education President Bill Morse were the speakers at the event. The annual gathering, arranged by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, took place at the .

Schools

Morse said he thinks New London is still feeling the effects of urban renewal and the displacement of numerous residents in the 1960s. He said Connecticut has also been working to address the issue of de facto segregation, raised in the court case Sheff v. O’Neill. Morse said magnet schools were established as part of this effort, but was unsure if they are the best solution.

“We have created a parallel school system, and I’m not sure that helps …We have created options that only a small number of people can take advantage of,” said Morse.

Morse said academic expectations have increased over the years, and that the district is working to align the math and reading curriculum with the state's standards. He said the district is also working to improve teacher evaluations and provide reading assistance to students who need it. He said input from local businesses would assist with the determination of which skills are essential for students to have upon graduation.

Morse said the school budget is approximately $50 million, with $10 million of that amount coming through grants. The budget has been flat-funded for three years. Morse said this amounts to about $16,000 per student per year, although he said the figures don’t directly reflect this number. The schools are mandated to accept students with special needs, he said, and the services required for them can sometimes reach as high as $200,000 per student. Morse complimented Assistant Superintendent Christine Carver, saying she has worked to provide in-house special education services and avoid transportation and other costs.

“We’ve saved a lot of money that way,” he said.

Morse said he expects a $2.7 million gap will be an issue in the budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. He said the district will lose $1.3 million in federal aid that was provided to preserve jobs and must provide approximately $700,000 each for both special education and a contractual salary increase.

“It’s great to have the new schools, but it’s troubling not to have the money to properly staff them,” said Morse.

Municipal affairs

Finizio said the city is transitioning to the new form of government and also working to address a number of systemic problems. He said some problems are a result of issues that have long been deferred, saying the and infrastructure have long been neglected.

“For years, critical issues of the city of New London have been left unaddressed,” said Finizio.

Finizio said the new form of government makes it a time of uncertainty for New London, and that this has led to some fears over what the future holds. He said there will also be a time of adjustment and some friction between different departments.

“I can assure you that this administration is more tempered than some press reports would lead you to believe,” said Finizio.

Finizio said he has been working with the to determine what can be done at Fort Trumbull, and that there have been discussions on placing a long-term desalinization plant there. He said he has also met with officials at and the to determine how to address their needs.

Finizio said the problems would not be solved overnight, and that not everyone in the city would agree with his decisions. He said he believed voters advocated the change in government in order to have a strong voice for the direction of the city, but said he would work cooperatively with the City Council and city administrators.

“I believe in the end that we have turned the corner,” said Finizio. “The next six months to two years are going to be very difficult. But I believe it is the start of a new renaissance for our city.”

Other issues

During a question and answer period, Finizio said his support of a land value tax would remove a disincentive for the renovation of derelict downtown buildings. He said it changes the tax assessment to land only, whereas owners would otherwise need to invest in repairing building and pay higher taxes for the property's increased value. Finizio said the state needs to approve the idea and that it would apply only to the downtown commercial district. Otherwise, he proposed the use of tax credits or abatements to achieve the goal of advocating building renovation.

“We need to do something, because without action these buildings will continue to lie fallow,” he said.

Finizio said he supported regionalization, but that other communities need to step up with financial backing or other assistance since New London provides a disproportionate amount of social services for people in the area. He also agreed with an audience member that the city has advantages that will allow the biotechnology  market to prosper in New London, but that it needs to market those opportunities better.

“We are inheriting a mess…But at the same time, the level of business interest in the city is higher than it has been in recent years,” said Finizio.

Barry Runyan, who oversees the New London division of the Chamber, asked Dr. Nicholas Fischer, superintendent of the New London Public Schools, whether the schools have a public relations problem. Runyan said he has found students from the to be courteous, but felt that the school has a poor image.

Fischer agreed and said he has been inviting members of the community to visit the school and students during open houses and other events.

“The most important piece of public relations is you. We need you to come into our schools…We need to know what you’re hearing, and we need to know how to respond to that,” said Fischer.

Prior to the event, former mayoral candidate Lori Hopkins-Cavanagh sought to collect signatures on a petition opposing executive orders signed by Finizio. Hopkins-Cavanagh argued that the orders, including one of residents unless it pertains to an investigation, will make New London a more dangerous place.

“This is the first step, and I think it’s going to be a long road forward,” said Hopkins-Cavanagh said of her petition.