05 November, 2024
1 min read

Deadline Is Friday, Feb. 17 To Appeal Property Assessments

Common Council Adds Two Temporary Members For Board Hearings In March Staff Reports NEW BRITAIN – The Common Council has approved two special appointments to the Board of Assessment Appeal to hear property owner appeals of new assessments that took effect last October following the required revaluation of real estate in the city. The additions […]

7 mins read

Mill Rate Cut Is Expected To Offset Big Jump In Property Tax Values

Post-Pandemic Revaluation Brings Hikes Of 50% Or More To Single And Multi Family Homes By John McNamara New Britain’s turn for a revaluation of real property came this year in the regressive property tax system that mandates every city and town set new values for tax purposes every five years. Unlike the last revaluation in […]

5 mins read

Stewart Veto of Department Head Residency Requirement Faces Override Vote

The City Council is set to consider an override of Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s veto of a proposed ordinance that would bring back the requirement that city department heads be residents of New Britain. The override vote would be at the September 12, 2018 Council meeting. The proposed ordinance (local law), which was introduced by the […]

4 mins read

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 […]

2 mins read

Reported Stewart Veto Reverts Budget to Higher Taxes and Lower School Funding

Republican Mayor Erin Stewart has reportedly vetoed the city budget approved by the Democrats on the City Council that would have lowered her proposed tax increase and increased school funding. Under the City Charter rules, Stewart’s veto means that her original proposed budget takes affect as the official city budget instead of the budget approved […]

3 mins read

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 […]

2 mins read

Community Activists Organizing for City Budget Hearing

Community activists are organizing city residents to turn out and make their views known at today’s hearing on Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s proposed budget. Stewart’s proposal has been criticized for increasing property taxes despite her claim of “no tax increase”, as well as for freezing the city’s annual education allocation and continuing to rely on increased city […]

2 mins read

Council Democrats Propose Freeze on Hiring and Promotion

The nine Democrats on the City Council are proposing, “an immediate hiring freeze and promotion freeze on all positions in the City,” citing, “fiscal challenges facing the City.” The proposed Council resolution says that, because of budgetary challenges, “it is necessary and desirable to achieve cost savings by appropriate measures to ensure the funds of the […]

2 mins read

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 […]

1 min read

Council Calls for a Presentation on the Property Tax Revaluation Process and Effects

Ald. Francisco Santiago (D-5) has announced that the City Council will hold presentation on February 14, 2018 on the property tax revaluation that the city has just conducted. He encourages residents to come to the meeting to ask questions and express concerns about the process. At the presentation, City Assessor’s office will explain about what a […]

2 mins read

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 […]

1 min read

Council Considers Allowing City Borrowing Services Contract to Change Firms With Former Stewart Chief of Staff

The Republican-dominated City Council is set to consider a resolution that would authorize Republican Mayor Erin E. Stewart to sign a contract moving city borrowing services from one firm employing her former Chief of Staff to the firm to which he has recently moved. The Council resolution says that, “William Blair and Company, the City’s Public […]

3 mins read

Stewart Water Fee Increase Debate Deepens

In the debate around Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s plan to increase water rates, despite her promise not to increase taxes, Democratic Ald. Manny Sanchez (D-3) has responded to the Republican mayor’s defense of her proposal. Stewart has cited ongoing water infrastructure projects, decreasing revenues and that water rates have not increased recently as reasons for […]

3 mins read

Ald. Sanchez Advocates Against Stewart Water Rate Increase

Democratic Ald. Manny Sanchez (D-3) is pressing Republican Mayor Erin Stewart and the Republican dominated City Council to not to increase water rates. “As locally elected officials, we have a duty to act in a fiscally responsible manner,” Sanchez said in a letter to Stewart. “This includes ensuring that our constituents do not incur unnecessary […]

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