The City Council will hold a hearing on Thursday, April 22, 2021 on Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s city budget for the upcoming budget year.
Stewart’s budget has drawn strong objections for, once again, flat-funding city funds for the operating of New Britain’s schools. The budget continues longstanding policy of low city funding for schools that, after inflation, amounts to a $9 million cut in school funding over the Republican’s eight years as Mayor.
The budget is already also drawn criticism for apparently adding to the city taxpayers’ debt to balance Stewart’s annual budgets. Stewart has proposed reducing the mill rate from 50.50 to 49.50, apparently paid for with federal and state aid – and a $12 million reduction in the city’s debt service – still leaving taxes nearly 26% higher over her eight years as Mayor.
Ald. Kristian Rosado (R-2) the Council’s President Pro Tempore, announced that the Council’s Public Hearing on Stewart’s budget is Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 7:00pm. Ald. Rosado’s announcement advise the public that the hearing will be held, “by way of conference call. During the public hearing residents are encouraged to voice their concerns regarding funding priorities for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2021.”
The hearing is available for the public to view at http://www.newbritainct.gov/meetings. For those wishing to express their opinions, the call in number is 1 (609) 663-5783, with the queue for the hearing opening at 6:45pm.
The budget under consideration is for the next city budget, or “fiscal,” year. The upcoming fiscal year begins on July 1, 2021 and goes until June 30, 2022. Taxes due in July of this year and January of 2022 will be based on this budget.
