City Budget Review In Final Stages

The city is holding its final meetings before making a decision on the proposed $81.8 million 2012 fiscal year municipal budget.

A hearing on Monday evening drew only three people to to discuss the budget, which the to hold the mill rate at the same level as the prior fiscal year. The reduction eliminated about $2.4 million from the budget proposed by interim City Manager Denise Rose, whose budget would have raised the rate 4.9 percent from 25.31 to 26.55.

The cuts included most of the proposed 18.5 positions to be added to the city payroll, although a full-time crime analyst and part-time clerical worker were added to the , a full-time accounting technician to the , and a part-time accountant to the . The city also reduced the budgets for overtime, winter storm response, and worker’s compensation and unemployment reserves. The was flat-funded at $39,817,405.

Daryl Finizio, a contender in this year’s mayoral race, asked the City Council to consider support for a full-time legislative lobbyist and full-time grants coordinator. Finizio said both positions will help the city to acquire state and federal funding for municipal programs and services.

“I believe that the relatively small investment of this position would have many returns for the city in terms of revenue,” he said.

Margaret Cotnoir, a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, asked the council to consider funding a ranger to help protect investments in the city’s parks. Suzanne Maryeski, director of the , asked whether Community Development Block Grant funds were figured into the library’s budget.

The budget is broken down into these areas:

• Board of Education: $39,817,405
• Police Department: $11,569,257
• Public Works: $8,256,492
• : $7,245,770
• Debt Service: $5,537,729
• Unallocated Fringe Benefits: $2,378,850
• City Manager: $1,395,667
• Finance: $1,332,239
• : $1,008,388
• Library: $630,000
• City Council: $473,345
• Pensions; Heart and Hypertension: $695,000
• City Clerk: $333,215
• Law: $285,000
• : $255,318
• Transfers to Other Funds: $250,500
• Health: $180,000
• : $98,864
• Public Parking: $63,483
• Emergency Preparedness: $20,200
• : $19,000

The Board of Finance, a citizens’ group, will review the budget on Thursday. At a special City Council meeting at 7 p.m. on May 31 at City Hall, the councilors will make a decision on the budget and tax rate.