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Post by Wethersfield.com on Mar 17, 2005 16:24:29 GMT -5
Trying to get an idea of what the potential tax increase will be this year.
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Post by oldetowne on Mar 18, 2005 6:51:01 GMT -5
my money is on 7.5%. literally....
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Post by SyZyGy on Mar 18, 2005 8:32:26 GMT -5
If they have any hope of staying in office for another term, they will have to keep it below double digits. My vote is 9.95% (real out of pocket dollars of tax increase over last year's hefty increase). A new school is coming on line with more staff and generous benefits; increased debt service; more "assistants" in Town Hall; and most importantly a moribund grand list (unimproved by the shell game of "new openings" in town.)
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Post by morganika on Mar 18, 2005 9:42:53 GMT -5
This years tax increase will tell me a lot about where this council is at in terms of listening to the public. I took great offense at last years increase. Quite frankly, I would not vote for these people in another election based upon what I have seen already. I don't just mean tax increases when I say that either. I mean being straightforward, honest and listening to ALL the citizens of this town. I will guess 7.5%.
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Post by Dr.Ken Sokolowski on Mar 31, 2005 16:52:19 GMT -5
[The following is a truncated version of the Manager's Proposed Budget for 2005-2006 which will be the subject of the Public Hearing at WHS auditorium starting at 7:00 PM, Monday, April 18.]
Manager's Proposed 2005/2006 Budget Message
March 16, 2005
[To]Mayor Russell Morin
Members of the Wethersfield Town Council
Citizens and Taxpayers of Wethersfield
...As I write this, I am reviewing my budget message from last year and find that the state of our budget is not better; it is worse than last year. ...
...this budget includes one and one-half (1½) layoffs in Social & Youth Services, and four furlough days for all Town employees (except police patrols and dispatch), thus reducing our current service levels...
...Much like last year, all of the negative economic factors that could happen at once did, only at a higher rate then last year's factors and I do not foresee this changing in the next five years...
...The Proposed Budget calls for a 8.79% increase in this year's budget - 9.69% for the Town and 8.13% for the Board of Education. This would mean a mill rate of 30.70 and on the average home valued at $164,673, a yearly tax increase of $387. This equals out to a 2.35 mill rate increase....
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET:
...we will be losing our number one taxpayer, Northeast Utilities, in 2006, which means a loss of approximately $250,000 in personal property taxes....
...As we did last year, we are looking at raising user fees to cover the costs of conducting specialized programs...
...this would leave a 5.15% fund balance -- far lower then I would like to see.... As you well know, in order to keep or raise our bond ratings, which affect the interest rates on our debt, the agencies want to see 8% or better....
WHY SUCH AN INCREASE?
Below I have listed the expenditure items that are having such a large influence on next fiscal year's increase. These are fixed costs that not only will be seen in next year's budget but will be with us over the next few years, thus affecting future budgets for some time to come.
1. DEBT AND INTEREST PAYMENTS
2. REPLACEMENT OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO SYSTEM - By 2010,...
3. REVALUATION [in 2008]
4. HEART AND HYPERTENSION [FUND]
5. PENSION [FUND]
6. MDC PAYMENTS
7. [HEALTH]BENEFITS
8. UTILITIES
9. SALARY INCREASES
...All of these fixed costs, as well as the loss of revenues, have added a considerable amount to next year's budget increase....
PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUSIONS
...
1. LIBRARY
2. BUILDING DEPARTMENT
3. FINANCE DEPARTMENT
4. CAPITAL BUDGET
5. VEHICLE REPLACEMENTS
6. FIRE DEPARTMENT
7. TECHNOLOGY
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
We have heard over and over again the need to live within our means, look at our bottom line, keep the tax rate low, and balance our budget, but at the same time, we hear do not cut our services, maintain what we have, buy open space, increase our grand list, and make our community what it used to be - a #1 desirable place to live, work, own a business and raise our families. But this cannot all happen at the same time - it is financially impossible!...
...we need to determine our core services and fund those, making sure that other services offered are paid for 100% by users fees....
...We must fund those items that will reap us more revenues in the long run...
...We have to decide now, what programs are core services and which are not and for those that are not core, either eliminate them or raise the user fees to make sure we are getting back 100% of the costs of giving those services....
...Could this mean the elimination of programs and thus employees? Yes!!! Could this mean that Wethersfield may no longer enjoy the quality of programs and services we now offer? Yes!!!...
...for every $197,236 you add or delete, the mill rate will go up or down 1/10 of a mill....
...This is a CRUCIAL time in our community and we must hear from everyone to make sure not only that we listen to what you WANT to see in our budget but what you are WILLING TO ELIMINATE...
...make sure somehow your voices are heard!!...
...
Bonnie L. Therrien
...
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Post by JackAss on Mar 31, 2005 17:32:21 GMT -5
"REPLACEMENT OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO SYSTEM - By 2010, we will have to replace a large majority of our current radio system as Motorola will no longer support our present analog system. We will have to switch to a digital system. It is imperative that we start setting aside money now for the replacement of this system, which will cost us $1,400,000. I have set aside $200,000 in this year's budget towards this replacement project and we will need to continue to set aside this same amount or more until we reach our goal of $1,400,000".
Didn't we just spend $3,000,000 on the Deputy Mayors must have radio system?
I guess the taxpayers better grab the ankles again.
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Post by Gramps on Mar 31, 2005 17:53:10 GMT -5
I feel like I’m in a house of mirrors, everywhere I turn I bump into the same BS and it’s not me. I must be living under a rock, a new radio system for the police, what the hell just happened to the one we just bought? Look, if the WPD didn’t do diligence in the process of selecting the appropriate system, then I say to bad and live with what you have. “I know, they will say they won’t be able to serve us to a level of excellence, well then let them pay for it since it was their blunder”.
Anyone want to by a house cheap, I can’t afford the taxes any more for the service I’m getting. I think it might be time to move to Rocky Hill.
It’s not this Town Council’s fault that they decided to make amends for the past sins of the WTA and previous councils. We have to start being fiscally responsible for our town. These tax rates are obscene. 19% last year and maybe 10% this year, well I’ll be honest with everybody, my wages have gone up by 5% in the past 2 years so if you think I could give a rats A$$ if the town employees or teachers get a raise your wrong. This is the real world, not Disneyland.
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Post by Dr.Ken Sokolowski on Apr 3, 2005 17:13:49 GMT -5
I recently got from the Town Clerk a copy of the minutes of the special meeting of the Town Council for 3/21/2005, during which Dr. Proctor presented his proposed WPS budget to the Town Council. Embedded in those minutes were the reduced images of his PowerPoint Slide Show (PPT). To make things easier, I reverse engineered that PPT to an HTML presentation / webpage. If you would like to view his presentation, slide by slide, click on the following link. Please note that this HTML presentation is contained in a Zipped file. You will need to SAVE AS (download) the file into a separate subdirectory, then unzip the file, then locate and run the sole HTML file within your new subdirectory. At the time of posting, I can vouch, it was virus-free. home.ripway.com/2004-10/191009/WN/pproctor.zip |
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JoeSixpack
Silver Member
This ones for you
Posts: 35
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Post by JoeSixpack on Apr 19, 2005 20:18:31 GMT -5
Calm down everybody.After attending last nights budget hearing it is not that bad.
What is another 2.35-mill increase? You taxpayers get bent out of shape for a lousy $387 a year increase on a $4668 tax bill.
Perhaps if we all go to work for the State or The Town of Weth. we can all afford this modest little increase.
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MrEd
Bronze Member
Posts: 7
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Post by MrEd on Apr 20, 2005 6:52:15 GMT -5
How come the "chief architect" of our $3.2 million radio system is getting a pass on this apparent waste of money.
The Deputy Mayor, when he was police chief was jumping through hoops to get this state of the art motorola radio system, to take us into the 21st century.
I guess 2010 is far enough into the 21st for this boondoggle.
Deputy Mayor, any swampland for sale?
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Post by oldetowne on Apr 20, 2005 8:11:58 GMT -5
No accountability anywhere. Just call it "public safety" and the Council will roll over. Town staff and the building committee don't have a clue what they are doing. The radio consultant we've hired screwed up and is laughing all the way to the bank with the steady stream of income he's getting from negotiating the Sprint, Nextel and Verizon tower leases (read the contract if you don't believe me). Never mind the long-term replacement cost - see how much is being tossed out the window right now because of the interference issues with Nextel.
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Post by oldetowne on May 12, 2005 7:19:09 GMT -5
d**n, I should go to Foxwoods right now!!! The budget increase was 7.51%
My prediction - posted here - see below:
Posted by: oldetowne Posted on: Mar 18th, 2005, 06:51am
my money is on 7.5%. literally....
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Post by morganika on May 12, 2005 12:19:12 GMT -5
I tell you what, it hurts when you read about other towns in the Courant passing no increases (Rocky Hill) and all the other towns have way lower increases. Shoulda done my homework before I bought.  |
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Post by tomterific on May 12, 2005 17:03:53 GMT -5
I've got an ordinary sized house and lot and have not had any changes in at least 10 years. As of July 1 of this year, my tax bill will have increased by 28% in the last 2 years (by the way, that's the same time period as the current Town Council has been in office). How do you all think I'm going to be voting this November?
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Post by SyZyGy on Jul 1, 2005 8:56:20 GMT -5
No one can in Wethersfield can label our current, Steinmetz-lead, Russ'ian Town Council as being controlled by typical "Tax and Spend" Democrats.
They have learned from their big brothers and sisters in "higher" levels of Government to take advantage of 'buy now' and make the public 'pay later' approach.
We in Wethersfield have "Spend and Tax" leaders instead. With the assurances from the bond counsels and the recent credit ratings, Russ, Andy, Forrest, Julie, et al., are going to take the citizens of Wethersfield for a ride like you won't believe.
The solution: November 8, 2005.
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