By The Numbers: Adam Sprecace 2014 Budget Proposal

At Monday’s Finance Committee meeting, both Council President Michael Passero and Councilor Adam Sprecace presented proposals to offset cuts to the 2014 fiscal year budget made under Mayor Daryl Finizio’s budget proposal. Today we’re presenting both of these proposals in full.

Councilor Adam Sprecace said he had “essentially develop[ed] an alternate budget” in putting together his own proposal, which aims to avoid cuts proposed in Mayor Daryl Finizio’s budget.

Sprecace’s proposal makes detailed reductions or additions in several line items. Sprecace asked that this be a baseline with which the City Council can develop a first reading of the budget. The Council will meet for this purpose tonight at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Finance Director Jeff Smith said he would take Sprecace’s recommendations into consideration, but said the amount of detail will require scrutiny by the Finance Department. He also said he disputed some areas, such as Sprecace’s projected savings of $350,000 in health insurance costs where Smith said he had determined savings were not available.

The committee voted 2-1 to have Smith reform Finizio’s budget proposal based on budget changes Passero developed in consultation with Smith. Go to this article to review Passero's proposal.

Sprecace’s proposal increases anticipated revenues by $273,619 over Finizio’s estimate of $81,016,213 for a total of $81,289,832. The new revenue would include $223,619 from removing the debt service internal service fund and replacing Build America Bonds revenue as well as increasing expected Water Street Parking Garage revenue by $50,000. Expenditures would increase $273,130 over Finizio’s budget to a new level of $81,289,343. 

Sprecace’s proposed changes to line items or department budgets are as follows:

New London Public Schools

Decrease the school budget increase to one percent by reducing it $599,087 from $40,814,666 to $40,215,579. This proposed school budget is $398,174 more than the 2013 fiscal year budget.

City Council

The proposal reduces this budget by $19,649, from $424,524 to $404,875, by:

• Removing two $25,000 items for special events overtime and Sailfest to a contingency fund 
  
• Adding $15,000 to fund the Garde Arts Center contribution to the 2013 budget level 
  
• Adding $4,125 to fund the New London Beautification Committee contribution to the 2013 budget level 
  
• Adding $2,500 to fund the VFW Post 189 contribution for flags to the 2013 budget level 
  
• Adding $2,250 to fund the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra contribution to the 2013 budget level 
  
• Adding $1,875 to fund the Lyman Allyn Art Museum contribution to the 2013 budget level 
  
• Adding $1,600 to fund overtime payroll to the 2013 estimate 
  
• Adding $1,501 to fund regular payroll to the 2013 budget level
  
• Adding $1,500 to fund the Film Commission contribution to the 2013 budget level 
  

• Transferring administrator Tammy Daugherty’s $52,000 salary to the Office of Development and Planning due to her assumption of the ODP director’s responsibilities 
  
• Removing all non-personnel expenses from the Personnel Division, included with the Mayor’s Office Division, for a savings of $41,300 
  
• Adding $7,000 to fund advertising to the 2013 budget level 
  
• Adding $4,000 to fund training expenses to the 2013 budget level 
  
• Adding $3,048 to fund office supplies and materials to the 2013 budget level
  
• Adding $3,000 to fund consulting to the 2013 budget level 
  
• Adding $1,000 to fund postage to the 2013 budget level 
  
• Adding $594 to fund dues and subscriptions to the 2013 budget level 
  
• Adding $400 to fund operating supplies and materials to the 2013 budget level
  
• Adding $200 to fund the courier to the 2013 budget level 
  
• Adding $100 to fund printing to the 2013 budget level 
  

• Reinstating $100,000 cut in Finizio’s proposal 
  
• Reinstating $15,000 in parking enforcement funds cut in Finizio’s proposal
  
• Reducing professional services by $20,800 to $75,000 due to about $29,000 being included in the 2013 budget for special auditing services 
  
• Reducing the other professional services line item of parking enforcement by $15,000 to $22,000, which Sprecace says will maintain the mayor’s office strategy for parking enforcement 
  
• Halving the information technology office supply budget to $2,500 since this funding has not been used to date in the 2013 budget 
  
• Halving the IT computer supplies budget to $2,250 since this funding has not been used to date in the 2013 budget 
  
• Reducing the IT voice over IP phone service budget by $2,000 to $16,000 to match the 2013 year-end estimate 
  
• Halving the IT operating supplies budget to $1,250 since this funding has not been used to date in the 2013 budget 
  
• Reducing the department’s advertising budget by $1,000 to $2,000 to match the 2013 year-end estimate 
  

• $135,500 to take into account an increase in the 2013 LAP insurance contribution from the general fund after the budget was approved $83,500 to cover increasing medical emergency awards 
  
• $64,934 to cover duplicates in disability health insurance 
  
• $50,000 to cover the city’s responsibility for 2013 FICA expenses if they were affected by the fiscal cliff deal 
  
• $50,000 to support special events and Sailfest 
  

• Restoring $1,243,388 cut in Finizio’s budget 
  
• Reducing the administrative rental and leases budget by $6,750 to $25,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $22,000 
  
• Reducing the administrative services other professional services budget by $5,300 to $31,000 to match a 2013 year-end estimate 
  
• Reducing the uniformed services food supplies budget by $2,500 to $10,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $8,000 
  

• Reinstating Finizo’s $500,000 cut 
  
• Reducing the solid waste operating supplies by $40,000 to $1,360,000 due to a two-year average of about $1,335,000 
  
• Reducing the highway maintenance division’s storm-related overtime $25,000 to $140,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $118,000 
  
• Reducing mechanical maintenance operating supplies $20,000 to $250,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $203,000 
  
• Reducing building and maintenance building maintenance and repair by $15,000 to $185,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $183,000 
  
• Reducing parks maintenance repair equipment by $6,000 to $12,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $6,000 
  
• Halving highway maintenance operating supplies to $5,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about zero 
  
• Halving solid waste operating supplies to $5,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $3,600 
  
• Reducing mechanical maintenance and other operating supplies by $5,000 to $50,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $42,000 
  
• Eliminating $5,000 in parks maintenance overtime to bring overtime payroll to $50,000; Sprecace says the 2013 year-end estimate for overtime is about $16,000 
  
• Reducing parks maintenance operating supplies and materials by $5,000 to $40,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $23,000 
  
• Eliminating $2,600 for building and maintenance special events overtime due to the contingency fund for this purpose 
  
• Eliminating $2,500 for highway maintenance special events overtime due to the contingency fund for this purpose 
  
• Eliminating $2,500 for parks maintenance special events overtime due to the contingency fund for this purpose 
  
• Reducing administration training expenses by $2,000 due to a three-year average of $500 
  
• Halving administration office supplies to $2,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $1,500 
  
• Reducing building and maintenance training expenses by $2,000 to $1,000 due to a three-year average of $500 
  
• Reducing mechanical maintenance training expenses by $2,000 to $1,000 due to a three-year average of $336 
  
• Reducing solid waste training expenses by $1,500 to $1,000 due to a three-year average of $850 
  
• Reducing parks and maintenance training expenses by $1,000 to $2,000 due to a three-year average of $1,600 
  

• Reducing electricity expenses $50,000 to $800,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $764,000 
  
• Halving operating supplies to $20,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $19,000 
  
• Reducing maintenance and repair equipment by $2,500 to $4,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $3,100 
  

• Eliminating the ODP director’s $90,000 salary 
  
• Reducing overtime payroll by $4,830 to $10,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $4,400 
  
• Reducing advertising by $3,000 to $15,000 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $10,700 
  
• Eliminating $2,270 for cell phone expenses due to all phone expenses being charged to the Finance Department 
  
• Reducing office supplies $2,100 to $2,500 due to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $1,500 
  
• Adding $72,000 to account for the transfer of the mayor’s office administrator salary with a $20,000 raise accounting for new responsibilities
  
• Reinstating $70,850 cut in Finizio’s budget 
  

• Eliminating a $733,824 reserve for unemployment compensation 
  
• Reducing health insurance expenses by $350,000; Sprecace says the figure is overestimated because it is calculated at five percent over current rates instead of including savings from the state plan 
  
• Reducing the pension-defined benefit plan by $244,855 to the 2013 year-end amount of $367,000 
  
• Eliminating a $213,520 workers compensation reserve and reducing the general fund contribution accordingly; Sprecace says the estimated 2014 year-end balance is still the highest in five years 
  
• Reducing medical emergency awards by $83,500 to the 2013 year-end estimate
  
• Eliminating $64,934 in duplicate amounts in the disability health insurance calculation 
  
• Reducing FICA by $50,000 to a 2013 year-end estimate of about $585,000
  
• Eliminating $37,193 in benefits for the former ODP director