A Narrative: Tax Payer Debt, Funding, Storm Drainage and Sanitary Systems

By Frank and Sharon Chase,

1)  Tax Payer Debt Reaches $325M as reported in the NBP 12-23-23:  Over time, New Britain mayors have tried to avoid mill rate increases and higher taxes in the belief it would be fatal to their re-election efforts…  Meanwhile, they simply “kick the can down the road” disregarding future fiscal consequences.  A structural deficit was identified 11 to 12 years ago when O’Brien took office for one term.  In the last 10 years, the Stewart administration has borrowed every two years increasing indebtedness.  This provided what the municipal bond companies refer to as “budget relief”.  In reality, it puts off paying for debt until later, creating short term “surpluses” and “no tax increases” (except for the reassessment year we just had).  The budgets are built on a house of cards and eventually the bill becomes due.  In this year’s budget, the city is paying more in interest than principal!

Majority Leader McNamara wrote this article (link below) in June 2022 about “city borrowing” that explains this practice. Unfortunately, when borrowing is done in this way, it limits the ability of the city to bond out, and borrow for more CRITICAL issues like replacing urgently needed storm-sewer mains.  Our storm-sewer systems are at CRISIS LEVELS!  We are seeking “real fiscal responsibility” from our city officials. Another Restructuring Adds Millions In Debt To New Britain’s Finances – New Britain Progressive

2)  City Funding:  There is city money, $20+M sitting on the sidelines.  What is the status of this money?  

– This year, per the City Council’s unanimous vote with Stewart’s signature, $4M was transferred from the General Fund to the PW Account for the Allen St. Project #2 Oak to Beacon.  What is the status of this money?  

– This year Moriarty identified an additional $3M in the PW Account that can be used for the Allen St. Project upgrades.  What is the status of this money?

– This year Stewart transferred $13M from the ARPA Funds to the NB FLUSH account to upgrade storm-sewer systems.  What is the status of this money? 

– This year Stewart transferred $2M from the ARPA Funds to the NB FLUSH account for the Overlook-McKinley Stormwater Upgrades. What is the status of this money?

3)  State Funding:  State Officials report the following; they seldom earmark funds for projects such as storm-sewer infrastructure projects.  The state has moved away from earmarking decades ago.  Instead, they  supply tranches of funds to municipalities to do the projects that the mayor and council prioritize. 

Because of the pandemic and federal infrastructure programs, New Britain has received enormous tranches of funds designed to do things like flood work and other infrastructure projects over the past few years.  $56 million in “extra” funds over the past couple of years alone… above and beyond what we usually bring to the city. 

There are applications from the city to the state for FEMA money administered by the state DOT, but these funds do not go through the legislature and we are not involved in their application or distribution. I have asked DOT for an update, they said they are not aware of any upcoming distributions from these programs.

Our delegation will push for additional state infrastructure funds to be sent to New Britain as we always do, however, it will still be up to the mayor and council on how to spend these funds.  We will, and are doing what we can do to solve this problem.  Our role, however, is policy driven; not administrative.

During this time, state officials will also search for other methods to obtain funds to do the storm-sewer upgrades.  The delegation delivered a huge surplus of funds to your municipality that could have been used to fix your concern but was not!  And now, since the city decided to prioritize other projects, we are being asked to go get even more money to fix the projects the city did not prioritize.  We will pursue it as a city priority in the 2024 session.  There are no guarantees.

4)  Storm Drainage and Sanitary Systems:  Our underground infrastructure is compromised because the storm-sewer systems are “outdated and undersized with deteriorating clay mains”.  The systems must be upgraded ASAP!  Very little has been done to the storm-sewer systems in our critical neighborhoods for over 30 years despite our pleas for help.  Once again, the residents in our critical neighborhoods are victims of neglect and mismanagement.  Elected city officials and appointed city officials must “step up” to fund and upgrade these vital systems ASAP!  

Through all of this, there is one constant factor which is our fundamental right as taxpayers… Our city officials are mandated to keep us safe from circumstances within their control, therefore, without fully functioning underground storm-sewer systems, our “critical neighborhoods” will continue to flood, placing all of us in harm’s way.  6 flooding events this year.  As Stewart noted, climate change is here, be prepared.  My neighbors and I are prepared, the city is not.  Nothing is more important than our safety!  The storm-sewer upgrades in our critical neighborhoods must be prioritized!

The unhealthy contaminants in the flooding water include bacteria, fecal matter, fats, motor oil, grease, etc.  This flooding devalues our homes by 15%.  We are paying property taxes based on inflated market conditions while our neighborhoods flood.  Our quality of life has deteriorated and our property values have decreased because of the compromised storm-sewer systems in our critical neighborhoods.  

We are not looking for preferential treatment; we’ve been waiting for 30 YEARS!  We pay our taxes for the benefit of all residents.  When we ask for our fair share to upgrade our vital infrastructure systems, we are ignored because Stewart has a contrary fiscal agenda.  Why do you insist on ignoring our pleas for help?  You all have the photo evidence, clearly showing the flooding.

Bottomline, our neighborhoods, streets, blocks, properties, garages, basements and homes continue to flood because the city’s underground storm drainage and sanitary systems are outdated, undersized with deteriorating clay mains.  Per the city’s select experts, the storm-sewer systems in the Allen-Hampton-Eton-Newbury-Roxbury neighborhood and in the Overlook-McKinley-Selander neighborhood are at “CRISIS LEVELS!”  Our city officials have known about these storm-sewer issues for over 30 years.  What is your plan?

City officials are forcing us to live with an imminent and an undeniable threat each day.  Unacceptable!  The storm-sewer systems must be upgraded in our critical neighborhoods ASAP!