Politics & Government

Councilors Reluctant On Special Events Fund In City Council Budget

New London councilors question new items meant to "limit the controversy" on mayor's executive order on event fees

Councilors expressed reluctance to accept new line items to budget for special events in the City Council budget, saying the process of approving funding to support such events is unclear.

The $424,524 budget for the Council includes previously unbudgeted line items of $25,000 for special events and another $25,000 for the annual Sailfest event. The Council budget has a net increase of $17,600 over the 2013 fiscal year budget.

Zak Leavy, executive assistant to Mayor Daryl Finizio, said the special events item was an effort to “limit the controversy” regarding Finizio’s executive order on events that use municipal services. The order, which requires event organizers to pay up front for the use of services such as police overtime, has led to conflicts between the administration and the New London Irish Parade and Martin Luther King Jr. Day march

However, Finance Director Jeff Smith said the budget proposal also eliminates special events funding from the police and fire budgets. He said the proposal is working to find any possible savings in light of revenue shortfalls.

“No matter where we look, we’re broke,” said Smith.

Councilor Adam Sprecace said he was not satisfied with the current system since it is unclear where payments for city services are allocated. He said the cuts to the other budgets also allow less money for special events in the 2014 budget than was available  in the 2013 budget.

“We still have to get into how we are going to support events going forward,” Sprecace said.

Council President Michael Passero was also upset that payments related to event fees have not been coming before the Council. He said the Council should be apprised of all funding sources, noting how even small donations have to be approved at regular Council meeting. Smith said he considers the fees different from unanticipated revenue such as donations.

Passero said he thought the items should be retained but should be administered through another department.

“Don’t leave it up to us and not leave us enough money,” he said.

In other budgets, Smith said he will review the salaries for the Office of Development and Planning and mayor’s office to ensure that none are mistakenly double-counted. Finizio appointed Tammy Daugherty, an administrator in the mayor’s office, to serve as ODP director while continuing to serve in her current role.

Smith said Daugherty’s salary will be funded entirely through the ODP budget, but that the budget does not reflect it since the budgets were made in the midst of the transition.

“There just wasn’t time to make those changes,” said Smith.

Councilor Donald Macrino, chairman of the Finance Committee, said he considered Finizio’s appointment of Daugherty part of a citywide strategy to consolidate positions and be more efficient. However, he said he considered that some savings found in the budget will have to go toward replenishing the general fund. An audit determined that this fund declined nearly 75 percent over the course of the 2012 fiscal year, falling from $4,979,248 to $1,262,989.

“We can’t keep forgetting this very dark cloud that’s over us,” said Macrino. “We don’t have any extra money. We’re broke.”

Finizio’s budget proposal calls for an $81,016,213 budget, with $41,270,423 going toward the New London Public Schools and $40,201,547 going toward the municipal budget. The school budget represents a 2.5 percent increase requested by the Board of Education, while the municipal budget includes a 2.6 percent decrease in expenditures.

The mill rate, or tax rate per $1,000 of assessed value, would increase 3.09 percent under the budget from 27.22 to 27.42.

Finizio said the budget reductions were needed to offset revenue shortfalls. The proposal reductions of $1.4 million to the New London Police Department, $500,000 each to the Department of Public Works and New London Fire Department, 50 percent reductions to the Recreation Department and Public Library of New London, and a complete defunding of the Senior Center.

The Finance Committee’s early meetings have sought input on the potential impact of the proposal. Department heads have said the funding levels will result in layoffs and curtailment of services.

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