With Mayor John Harkins casting the deciding votes to break a 5-5 deadlock along party lines, Stratford has a budget plan in place for fiscal year 2011-2012 that among other things restored Stratford library funding along with the animal control officer position that was eliminated about six weeks ago.
In all, the Republican controlled Town Council, with an assist from the mayor, passed a 2011-2012 budget totaling $188,538,591, with a corresponding mill rate of 34.15. This represents an increase of .83 mills over the current 33.32 rate, or an overall tax increase of 2.5% for Stratford’s taxpayers for the new fiscal year beginning July 1.
The mayor’s tie-breaking vote was required after Republican Councilman James J. Connor, R-8, voted against his own party’s amended budget plan. The 10-member Town Council consists of six Republicans and four Democrats, and Connor’s no vote combined with the four no votes from Democrats created the 5-5 tie.
All eyes and ears then fell upon Town Attorney Tim Bishop, who told Council Chairman Thomas Malloy, R-9, that in the case of a tie vote then the mayor is called upon by the Town Charter to cast a tie-breaking vote.
At that, Mayor Harkins grabbed the microphone from his seat at the dais and affirmed that he would in fact vote to approve the Republican budget as well as for the secondary Council resolution to set the mill rate that came immediately after a 20-minute recess called after the budget vote.
Prior to Mayor Harkins’ first vote, Democratic Council member Stephanie Philips, D-2, took about 15 minutes to explain the rationale behind the Democratic budget proposal, which was put forth last week and called for the restoration of library and animal control officer funding, as well as the restoration of town employee positions, among other changes.
The bottom line of the Democratic proposal would see taxes rise just under one mill, similar in increase to the amended mayor’s budget passed Monday night. Mayor Harkins’ original budget proposal first unveiled in April called for more than $189 million in spending, with a corresponding mill rate increase of 4.99%.
For his part, dissenting Republican Councilman Connor explained after his vote that he believed that deeper cuts could have been made in the overall town budget, among them the elimination of an assistant fire chief slot. The budget as it was passed, he said, calls for cuts in positions that are of a relatively low salary, whereas the cutting of a non-union assistant fire chief’s position would bring substantial savings going forward when the high salary, plus pension and benefits are included in the overall equation.
“I just felt that more could have been done to limit the tax increase,” he added, noting that he hails from a very conservative eighth district.
Meanwhile, Mayor Harkins said that the budget deliberations were particularly tough this year in light of the struggling economy, a declining tax base and uncertainties regarding federal and state revenue streams.
“It is very difficult to balance” the funding of needed town services while trying to hold the line on tax increases, he said. Harkins said that the Council and members of his administration worked very hard in the past week to pare even further his original budget proposal.
That task was made easier by the increase in several revenue line items, including state payments in lieu of manufacturing taxes (PILOT) funds of more than $1.8 million and more than $459,000 in municipal revenue sharing funds, both of which were not factored in the mayor’s conservative original revenue estimates.
The mayor was joined by several Republicans including Paul Hoydick, R-10, Christian Barnaby, R-1, and Matthew Catalano, R-3, who called the Democratic proposal “irresponsible” and one that included “planned deficits” due to “unrealistic” expectations with respect to contractual overtime costs, specifically those in the fire department.
Democrats including David Fuller, D-6, Jason Santi, D-4, and Kimberly Meuse, D-7, all defending their plan, saying that careful department budget management across the board could result in the predicted savings as outlined in their plan.
Harkins added that there are still some uncertainties regarding the state budget that could result in additional fine-tuning of the town’s new budget plan, particularly in the revenues the town is expected to receive from the state should agreements with state labor unions not be forthcoming, as Gov. Dannel Malloy has hoped.
“We are working with some uncertainties going forward,” Mayor Harkins said, and he and members of his administration will be following the state budget situation very carefully in the coming weeks until it is resolved.
Now, now...don't get all mad. It's not like I am commending the RTC for raising taxes either. Do you really have to run for office in order to have a valid opinion? Or are only members of the political town committee members' opinions valid? Anonymity is my choice, not yours. But then again, I am not seeking office am I? Nor am I up for re-election. But back to the point. The DTC did not offer an explanation of how the cuts would be achieved. Had you done so, and it was believable, you and us taxpayers might have had a better outcome. As it is, current RTC members of the Council will be hard pressed in November to explain to us why they thought they had to raise our taxes. But hey, I'm anonymous, so please skip over this. It doesn't count, does it?
I guess the FD is a useless organization with useless employees so off with their heads! What would you propose to reduce overtime?? I support legitimate overtime. Proper Management existed several years ago with virtually the same contractual restrictions and/or obligation. Look it up. It is a verifiable fact. 9/11 showed Police, Fire, EMS, & Military running to danger. I do not deminish the value of professionals. I believe local politicians, police, fire, education and others, like attorneys and negotiators, "gamed the system," not just in Stratford but nation wide. In that respect, certain people are analogous to Big Oil, War Profiteers, and Big Finance. "I got mine." How many times have workers manipulated what I believe or fraudulently revised rules to work with virtually all overtimes hours instead of all straight time hours? How many times have lawyers double/triple billed with no justification or oversight? How many times have lawyers and rank management manipulate increased pay or fees? It is immaterial what I write or say. The former ward bosses are dead and new bosses will feed off the excesses created by their predecessors. Several years ago Hartford created a law taking pensions away from people proven corrupt. I did not enact it, they did. It's just sitting there ticking.
I do not have the resources they do, to create such positions and disseminate same. Jezebel is wrong in a couple respects. - The Republicans have the 6-4 or 5-5-1 votes to do as they want, which works for bosses of each party. Ergo, regardless of the merits of platforms, it was not going anywhere. - If you own the race track, do you care which elephant, jaskass, horse, or vehicle wins? - Everything is timetabled. Like the phase down of the BACK DOOR BoE PAY RAISE; exaggerated O.T. & PENSIONS; KITED attorney fees; triple delays on AVCO + SHAKESPEARE, Decades delay in RAYMARK; intentionally flawed practices and policies. - Jezebel has been known to be against people I concur as causal to harm. Yet I do not agree with Jezebel and some others on some of those they lionize. I guess it depends on whose ox is gored?
One of these days, Chris Carroll & I will find a way to disable the "enter" key on your keyboard.
Second...and the main thrust of my comment...what about other departments overtime costs....are they a non- issue?? Which is why I ask is the FD costs such a deal breaker.....They must be worthless...no fires in town...no fire department needed? Hey why dont we give them all pagers and pay them $25 a call!! Save alot of money that way...probably not too many lives!! But hey we got an EMS director for an additional 110k whoopee!
Bingo.
So much for being nice, huh? "But hey, I'm anonymous, so please skip over this. It doesn't count, does it?" Bingo." There is just no cure for that DTC attitude is there?
I have family who was a FIRE CHIEF for a VOLUNTEER Fire Department. I 100 % favor a PAID PROFESSIONAL Fire Department, with legitimately good pay and honest benefits. I agree with you on the dunsel EMS Director. I suspect $ 400,000 is a likely viable range for Police + Fire O.T. and for Attorney Fees, looking at the 1990s - 2000s Budgets. If you want details on how to achieve it ... they are there. I suspect there is NO ARGUMENT or DEBATE I could have with you, in which you would be open minded? Predicated on about a 80-90 person actual firemen, that is $ 4,500 - $ 5,000 a year over a pretty good base pay. Your benefits including Defined BENEFITS reach about 140 % of your base pay, whereas unemployed, independent contractors, and business owners have figure ways to pay for benefits. I was a federal employee starting in 1971, a little while after MLK Jr marched with Birmingham garbagemen for wages over poverty level. I started about $ 2.42 per hour The TOP PENSION can collect $ 4,050,000 over 30 years. After CASHOUT, his lifetime PENSION contribution was $ 95,000. Tom, If I gave you $ 95 k, would you give me $ 4 million? 9/11 - police, fire, military, EMS - Ran to DANGER! Tom, do my questions and facts appear: unreasonable? untrue? disrespectful? looking to impoverish anyone? People have lost homes, will lose homes, can't afford food. My target has always been BIG OIL + WAR PROFIT + BIG MONEY. They pit US against YOU
One of these days, Chris Carroll & I will find a way to disable the "enter" key on your keyboard. GEO: LOL -- -- -- KIM > JEZE: "But hey, I'm anonymous, so please skip over this. It doesn't count, does it?" KIM: Bingo. - JEZE: Ms. Meuse, So much for being nice, huh? "But hey, I'm anonymous, so please skip over this. It doesn't count, does it?" Bingo." There is just no cure for that DTC attitude is there? - GEO: BINGO defined: A game of chance in which each player has one or more cards printed with differently numbered squares on which to place markers when the respective numbers are drawn and announced by a caller. The first player to mark a complete row of numbers is the winner. <interj.> Used to express the sudden completion of an event, occurrence of an idea, or confirmation of a guess -- JEZE: I wish the worst thing ever written to me on you blog was BINGO? :-) Maybe Mrs. Meuse was 1) inviting you to a social event or game of chance? ;) 2) or declaring you a WINNER for a complete row of numbers :-( 3) expressing the sudden completion of an event? P-) 4) expressing an occurrence of an idea? B-) 5) expressing a confirmation of a guess? b-) Maybe I should go on stratfordcharterwordpress and go to each blog string and write: JEZE is a BINGO! JEZE is a BINGO? I do not know if you were complimented or insulted or teased? I am pretty sure you were mirror imaged. It was not "mirror mirror on the wall"
George you may be talking to one of the few open minded people on the patch! And to be clear...I dont work for Stratford Fire or the town...just a taxpayer like yourself. But I stand behind what I say. I understand in industry..overtime is a sign of inefficiency...but can the same be said for municipal service? I can tell you after many years of municipal management training and experience, you can't run a municipality like a business! It's not.. plain and simple. Businesses make and provide products and services for profit...in most business models there an acceptable range where that product or service fails....its Ok ..its figured in the bottom line. (Ever by something that wasnt perfect outta the box??) Obviously the smaller the percetage the better, but to make the product perfect every time would cost too much to be profitable. Now lets talk about emergency services...particularly fire operations which is one of my strengths..What is the allowable failure rate??? ...ZERO!!!! so in order to achieve that it costs alot more than a Walmart FD. Now back to my main point...as a well educated man..what would you propose the FD do to mitigate their OT costs??? Send guys home??? Pay per call???go volunteer?? George we need answers, not stone throwers...As a former union steward what would you propose??
Do I think a retiree making 1.5 times his salary while being retired is a good deal for the town...no way! However I respect the fact that that benefit was negotiated in good faith. If we think its to rich fro our blood...than during the next contract make it an item of bargaining....plain and simple. If it goes to arbitration...write good briefs that support your position. If you lose in arbitration the town has 2 whacks at the apple in Ct and they may reject the settlement and start the process over...thats the law in a nutshell. This being the case, if it is felt strongly, knowing the deck is stacked in the town's favor...knowing the town has last right of refusal to reject an award....how can we pin blame on anybody but the towns own negotiators? Second I'm just wondering aloud why the PD or other OT is not an issue?? Answer??? Maybe because most people dont respect a fire till it comes to kill them...but folks are fearful of crime even though they may never experience it....just a theory. Dont take this this wrong way I support our PD...have needed them..and got excellent service. But if we are to cast the "overtime" net let's cast it wide...
If Health Care cost were $ 5000 and not $ 22,500, Town Employee could pay 40 % ($ 2000) which is less than you currently pay @ 13 % ($ 3,200) You would not mind saving $ 1200 a year, which you could use to upgrade your coverage, or you could save that money. With almost 33 % of the people having Health Insurance which cost $ 12,000 to $ 21,000. Dropping Health Care cost to $ 5,000 average would be made up by TRIPLING CUSTOMERS The government could give Business $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 tax credit for have free or 50 % paid Health Care. The government could give people $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 tax credit to have Health Care and lower their PRE TAX INCOME. This could include COMPLETELY PAID CHECKUP, including MRI, BLOOD, EYE, DENTAL, etc, which would catch problems early with lower cost and lower pain? This could include COMPLETELY PAID CHECKUP could be every 5 years or 10 years, without breaking the bank, especially if there were appropriate copays to deincentive abuses. As a former union steward, my job was to protect my coworkers from having their contractual rights violated. Part of being a union rep is recognizing realistic best interests of coworkers, self, managment, employer, and customer. Without decent jobs, everything else is moot. UNIONS CIVILIANS real enemy is the systemic breakdown and wealth hoarding by uncaring ignorant sluts. Properly regulated, workers rights-revenue are protected. Buying power of discretionary income is enhanced
I was posting once while you were posting twice. We agree failure has ZERO acceptability. We agree there is an O.T. necessity. > We diagree on what is acceptable and cost efficient. I believe we agree there has been departmental, Town, and political inefficiencies I know for a FACT there has been political SABOTAGE throughout Stratford. > Would you agree or disagree? Are younger fire fighters abusing sick leave, creating O.T. for each other? Do older fire fighters assisted in building O.T. which makes Define BENEFIT destructive Everyone gets sick from a one day sickness to a cold/flu/virus, few days. There are reasonable quantifiers and qualifiers which inhibit ABUSE of SICK LEAVE. Discipline: Corrective in nature - NOT punitive! Must be progressive and objective and not subjectively applied I will not get into further detail. I believe my detailing within suggestions are more than I read from your suggestions ? NOT MEANT as INSULT, nor ONE UPMANSHIP. Simply my perception I tried answering your request for potential solutions. I am interested in your suggestions. Unlimited SICK LEAVE is NOT HEALTHY, nor good management.
Does it get abused??? maybe...can there be safeguards to curtail that??? absolutely! Then easily instituted and assure that sick leave is used for just that ....being sick. Why do I support unlimited sick?? Firefighting has inherent dangers which requires the staff to be on their "A" game...anything less can result in dead or injured firefighters. If sick leave if above a benchmarked standard...develop a policy to address that, if it's not ....save it till it becomes an issue. I appreciate your view on healthcare, however you would prefer we approach the problem with a utopian solution.....not happening. A FD manager needs to be able to make decisions and policy that deals with today...not what ifs...or if only this were to happen. Thats my point once again, what can the new fire chief do to address the OT problem??? Its not an easy answer. I'm not familiar with political sabotage...maybe..but I dont fear black helicopters either. People are people and they act in predictable ways...so maybe what you consider to be sabotage is just people being people....that doesnt mean they are being good people...but I just question whether its as orchestrated as you make it seem. Maybe we're just looking at a log of history and it looks not so good.
I agree job dangers causal to special illness issues. Separate category? Utopian Health Care? Maybe? Health Care Economy to Scale, maybe cost effective? Beyond local issues? YUP! You asked for solutions, not limiting parameters. - We agree: benchmark standard relative to sick leave abuse, proper policy. I write intentional mismanagement. You do not agree? - Your statement of not familiar with political sabotage & black helicopters show you are likely an insider and a beneficiary of direct or indirect dole? So far, the system benefitted you. The changing of the political guards have yet to adversely affect you and your family. - People being people - acting in predictable ways. It's true : you can always count to the corrupt to act certain ways....the honest ones are unpredicatble. - Murderers, have no incentive to cease while getting away with it, do they? Also true of embezzelers, insider traders, etc. - Except for YOUR black helicopters & orchestated, I agree with you! - Is it your position that 100 % of Military & Police would NEVER murder domestically, nor use innocent people for the benefit of the agenda or plan of "certain Military or Police?" - Osama operation was an orchestrated & coordinated by planning, operations, & skilled personnel. - GOOGLE: CoIntel, Frank Church & Knapp Commissions, DOD/White House George Mulligan -Hypothetic: coordinated abuse?
Referring to unlimited sick leave .. Understand I did not contradict myself.. My statement referred to the concept that an unlimited sick leave policy should be continued especially when the average per man sick leave turns out to be same or less then average for the country (10 days? if I'm not mistaken). That allows someone who is actually sick or injured (not job related) to recover properly...cancer, heart issues, trauma all can take a significant amount of time to recover. I dont reccomend a policy change until sick leave starts to climb above benchmark averages...its a no brainer! Job related injury due to firefighting?? They will happen, however they are best minimalized by a well thought out health and wellness policy coupled with strong safety procedures and training. Otherwise injury is a part of a firefighters life. to be continued
I still really dont buy into the sabotage issue...although I have, and continue to deal with some unethical politicians. I knew you like black helicopters!
Solving problems can cut funding and job / billing justification. paragraph 2. Have we met? How would you know what I like/dislike? Do you know my life experiences? Can you prove we an absolute certainty that all police, politicians, military, managers have NEVER harmed innocent & unwitting people? Paragraph 3
Most union / business sick leave is earned /accumulated without limit towards what what is earned. Some cases allow for cash out of unused sick leave? - Rarely are they computated are pay rates of when they were accrued. - Do you live in Stratford, despinte being municipal manager in another town? If so, how many years. - I believe, it is a reasonable question to gage your civic knowledge, of our body politic. - Are you the same Tom, relative to Fire Dept issues?
Taxes are going up and services are going down. And at the end of the year, the mayor will make his adjustments to the so called budget and make it work for him.
No accrual of days in my system... no cash outs...cant add them to up your pension...system works well with proper management and safeguards...is flexible, firefighting injuries can be unique. Not all systems work like the ones you have experience with. I dont know if being humanitarian is good or bad..depends on what side of the fence you are!! I read one of your editorials when you mentioned black helicopters...quite some time ago..threw it for effect! I'm a 25 year employee in another town....15 years as a manager...now a senior manager. Lived in town since before the "mini-tax"...my father, his father grew up here in town, pretty familiar with the operations. I am FD oriented, that and municipal management principles are the center of my education.
Sometimes its actually cheaper to pay overtime than higher a new employee...By the time the dust settles it often costs twice an employees salary when you add up recruiting, testing, training, benefits, taxes etc. So in some instances its cheaper to pay time and one half ...as opposed to double time. Every municipality is different, actual mileage may vary. As far as OT going into the pension...not really a good thing for the town at all...thats a very generous benefit that it being phased out in Stratford. As far as Mayor John, I think he is doing as good a job as anyone else...he's pretty honest and approachable, he will listen to you, can't say that for everybody. Do I agree with all of his ideals??....oh heck no!
US Political Patronage/Kick Backs always existed. Better disguised! Cutouts=deniability! Specious, mendacious, rationalizations, justifications and cover stories used to con public. - Please GOOGLE-> read CHARLEY REESE'S, 1980's Orlando Sentinel newspaper article: "545 People responsible for all U. S. woes." -Then project Fed people to State & Local counterparts. However, selecting all of those people are party bosses and committee @ local, state, fed level. - Yet, party bosses are picked by "the Robber Barons" = Local / State / Federal. >Outrages & hardships across USA appear overwhelming! As if calculated? Like letting forest fire burn out of control. -Since the Depression + WW II most Congressional Districts had PORK BARREL Economic Engines, like SIKORSKY or AVCO, who had MIL SPECS and were OVER PAID. -Command Economy OVERPAYMENTS allowed ECONOMIC ENEGINE to pay: GOOD PAY, BENEFIT, etc while OVERPAYING Contractors-Subcontractors, who spend money locally. - My uncle's company built overhead cranes in SIKORSKY, allowing his workers well paid, have honest profit, & 4 children attend college. - There were changing of the guards in the system. I & my extended family were secretly targeted while benefitting from the system. I found who, what, when, where, why, how. I was the most affected. Criminals run=Local/State/Fed parties=Elizabethan II Privateers
Legal Laws & Regulations=Good/\Color of the Law=Bad Would you agree with the former? I favor professional Fire/Police with good pay, benefits, pensions, etc. I favor private and public sectors with good pay, benefits, pensions, etc. U.S. Marshall plan set up Europe, whose QL / Labor relations-compensation are comparable to what reasonable people would likely agree are good living/pay standards for Education and Fire / Police, what you call properly managed. - Jack Kemp / Arthur Laffer - A rising tide, raises all boats. I believe in trickup (grass roots) economics. -If consumer spending is 70% of GNP, it's illogical to reduce discretionary spending of masses? -If higher wages contributes to higher GDP, why pound wages? -If unemployment is a drain on States Economy, and good employment creates surplus ....? -If politicians intentionally cause PENSIONS/HEALTHCARE to be unsustainable ...? - Is $ 1.7 to $ 2 million Budgeted O.T. and Health Care 40 % higher than National Average: Discretion or Abuse? Good management: $ 5 million staight pay Budgets to 90 fire / 110 police? - FYI - TOM I was not originator of Black Helicoptor comment. From another BLOG Fire + Police commentators insulting me + my "tin foil hat." - Problems are directly related to OIL/GAS/COAL/WAR/DRUG profiteers, who hand pick multilateral: >PartyBosses >Candidates >Elected >Hired, promoted, contrace
It's obvious to the most casual observer that Ms. Meuse does not care what you "Mr. Jezebel", as a Stratford Resident, has to say concerning town affairs. Sad, isn't it? A product of the Stratford Democratic Party.
It is just sad really. A close friend of mine (yes, I have those) recently pointed out that the Federalist Papers were written anonymously by "Publius". I suppose according to DTC members no one should take them seriously either. I seem to remember someone called "Deep Throat" who chose to remain anonymous too. I guess he/she should have been ignored as well. And then there is that other category of writers that should be completely disregarded e.g., Dr Seuss, Mark Twain, George Sand and Dalton Trumbo. And who exactly is this "Top Administration Official" that journalists quote all the time. The Democratic Town Committee and, to a lesser extent, the Republican Town Committee have brought the politics of personal destruction to a Zen level. Unfortunately, it doesn't work for them if they can't attack an actual person. Arguing actual positions is not nearly as much fun.