Budget
Republicans Vote Down Increased School Funding
The City Council’s Republican majority voted down Council Democrats’ proposal to increase the city funding for New Britain’s schools.
Family Forum Planned on Schools Budget
The Consolidated School District of New Britain is focusing its February, “Family/Community Forum,” on the school system budget for the upcoming budget year.
Committee Reviewing Salary of Mayor, Other Officials
A Council committee is following a process required in city ordinances to consider possible increases in the salaries of the mayor and other city officials.
Council Set to Approve Proposal To Bring Back Local Residency Requirement for Department Heads
The City Council is set to vote on final approval of a proposal that would bring back the requirement that city department heads be residents of New Britain. The proposed ordinance (local law), which was introduced by the Council Majority Leader, Ald. Carlo Carlozzi, Jr. (D-5), and Ald. Aram Ayalon (D-3), would reinstate the requirement that city […]
Stewart Vetoes Hiring Freeze Resolution
Republican Mayor Erin Stewart has vetoed a resolution approved by the City Council to institute a hiring freeze all city positions except for public safety and temporary seasonal parks and recreation positions. The resolution had been introduced by all nine Council Democrats and all five Council Council Republicans in attendance voted against the hiring freeze. With the […]
Possible $11 Million Long-Term Deficit Apparently in Stewart’s Budget Proposal
Republican Mayor Erin Stewart proposed budget appears to cover a possible $11 million long-term deficit with non-recurring budget items that may leave a sizable shortfall in future years’ city budgets. Stewart’s budget proposal has already been criticized for increasing property taxes, despite her claim of “no tax increase”, as well as for freezing the city’s annual […]
Council Approves Hiring Freeze, With Republicans Opposing
The City Council has approved a hiring freeze on all city positions except for public safety and temporary seasonal parks and recreation positions. All five Council Republicans in attendance voted against the hiring freeze. The resolution was approved, with nine votes in favor and five in opposition. With the exception of police, fire, emergency dispatch […]
Stewart Proposes “Huge Tax Increase” Despite Claiming “No Tax Increase”
Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s budget includes what is being called a “huge tax increase,” despite her own claims that her budget is a “no tax increase” budget. Stewart’s press release on her budget proposal says that she, “presented to the Common Council a $237.72 million budget for 2018-19 that calls for no tax increase and […]
Proposal Made to Slow Down and Decentralize Decisions on City Borrowing
After what many are calling Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s heavy-handed attempts to pressure City Council Democrats into a quick approval of her plan to borrow $115 million to push city debt into the future, a proposal has been introduced to slow down and decentralize decisions on city borrowing. Democratic Ald. Aram Ayalon (D-3) has introduced a […]
Stewart Rebuffs Democrats’ Call for Further Consideration of $115 Million Debt Plan
City Council Democrats called on Republican Mayor Erin Stewart to delay action on her proposal to borrow $115 million to push city debt into the future. The Council majority is seeking more public input and consideration of other options before re-structuring of finances and committing the city to long-term borrowing. While Democrats asked that the […]
Stewart Calls Special Council Meeting to Borrow $115 Million to Push Debt into Future
Republican Mayor Erin Stewart has called a special meeting of the City Council to consider a plan to borrow $115 million to, “Refund Any of the City’s Outstanding General Obligation Bonds.” Stewart issued her official warrant calling the meeting on January 3, 2018. On the same day, the city’s debt underwriter, Mesirow Financial, issued an […]
Top 10 of 2017: #2 – Stewart’s Plan for a 23% Increase in Mayoral Salary
Many important stories have been covered by the New Britain Progressive in 2017. It may be difficult to name only a few articles as the top stories of the year, but there are a few the New Britain Progressive would like to share as our Top Ten. Other Top Ten stories can be found at “Top Ten Stories of […]
Top 10 of 2017: #3 – Budget Woes Grow With Debt, a Downgrade and Frozen Education Support
Many important stories have been covered by the New Britain Progressive in 2017. It may be difficult to name only a few articles as the top stories of the year, but there are a few the New Britain Progressive would like to share as our Top Ten. Other Top Ten stories can be found at […]
Numbers Don’t Back Mayor Stewart’s Claim That State Budget Caused City’s Negative Credit Rating
By John McNamara Contributing Columnist Mayor Erin Stewart has blamed this year’s state budget crisis for the city’s negative credit rating in response to a November 2nd report of an “escalating” debt and her administration’s own budget that shows interest payments will cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars over the next four years. “We were downgraded […]
New Britain’s Bond Rating Drops From Stable To Negative: Huge Spike In Debt Through 2021 Cited By Moody’s
By John McNamara Contributing Columnist Republican incumbent Mayor Erin Stewart, in her re-election campaign this year and throughout her second term, has touted improving municipal bond ratings for New Britain’s fiscal solvency, claiming credit for budget surpluses of $15 million and pushing spending up at City Hall with no need for an election year tax […]
Berriault Calls for Change in Leadership Because of Taxes and Spending
By Bobby Berriault After two terms of Mayor Erin Stewart, I say it’s time for a change in leadership. In her two terms of office, Republican Mayor Stewart raised our property taxes by 19% or $19,231,280! Our mill rate is currently at 50.5 mills, making it the fourth most expensive of any town in the State […]
Proposed 23% Mayoral Pay Increase Re-Emerges As Issue in Debate on School System Salaries
The proposal promoted by Republican Mayor Erin Stewart to increase the mayor’s salary by 23% was thrust again into attention by the recent controversy among city Republicans about the salary levels of three school system staff members. In a recent article and editorial in the New Britain City Journal, Republican elected officials allied with Stewart […]
Stewart Allies Criticize Kane Salary Three Months After Stewart Objected to Kane Comments on City Budget
The criticism, by allies of Republican Mayor Erin Stewart, of a decision by the Board of Education to increase the salaries of school system Chief Financial Officer Kevin Kane came about three months after Stewart, herself, publicly criticized Kane because of a presentation by Kane that Stewart took as critical of her then-proposed budget. In a […]
$15.5 Million Deficit Appears Hidden in Stewart’s Budget
The city budget proposed by Republican Mayor Erin Stewart has what appears to have a hidden $15,541,294 deficit built into it, a deficit that could continue to re-appear into future budget years. Stewart’s budget contains two substantial budget lines that are based on short-term assumptions. The first, as the New Britain Progressive reported in April, […]
Stewart Proposes Freeze on City Education Support, Increase in City Hall Spending
Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1st would freeze city support for New Britain’s schools while increasing overall city spending and pushing taxpayer debt into the future. Stewart’s General Fund budget proposal would increase city General Fund spending by $2,167,486 to a total of $241,537,535. Funding for the New Britain school […]