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Five-Hundred-Thirty-Five-Million Dollar Budget Passes -- 5 to 4 Vote

By Jeffrey B. Cohen

May 31, 2009

The city council by a narrow margin passed a $535 million budget with a 4.4 mill increase.

More to come. Below is the mayor's press release issued just after the vote.

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COMPROMISE BUDGET WINS APPROVAL

MAYOR SAYS BETTER THAN PROJECTED REVENUE NUMBERS HELP LOWER MIL INCREASE TO 4.4

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(May 31, 2009)--- "Compromise won out over catastrophe," stated Mayor Eddie A. Perez as he praised City Council members for passing the FY 09-10 budget. With less than 11 hours to spare before the City Charter mandated deadline, Council voted 5-4 to enact a $535 million compromise plan with a mil rate increase of 4.44. This is a full mil lower than what was discussed on Friday thanks to revised revenue projections. If Council had failed to pass a budget, pursuant to the Charter, the City would have had to implement a larger budget than last year with a mil rate increase estimated by the City Office of Management and Budget of approximately 16 mils.

"The City Council had two simple choices and they chose the wiser and more responsible one. In the end, they did the job the voters elected them to do and passed the compromise budget. I particularly want to praise the leadership of Council President Calixto Torres for working with fellow Council members in finding common ground," said Mayor Perez.

"We all know it isn't a perfect budget. Everyone had to make tough choices. I wanted $1.5 million in foreclosure assistance and $3 million in education included, but Council members voted to cut them. In the end, we had to put forth the best possible compromise to lessen the burden on Hartford taxpayers. Again, it is not perfect, but it is not the catastrophic alterative of a Charter mandated approximate 16 mil tax increase that would have automatically gone into effect if Council failed to act," Mayor Perez added.

The Mayor called the City Council back into session at Noon today because Council postponed their vote on Thursday. The vote went as follows:

Council President Calixto Torres (D): Yes

Majority Leader rJo Winch (D): Yes

Assist. Majority Leader Jim Boucher (D): Yes

Minority Leader Larry Deutsch (WFP): No

Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson (R): Yes

Councilperson Luis Cotto (WFP): No

Councilman Ken Kennedy (D): No

Councilman Matt Ritter (D): Yes

Councilman Pedro Segarra (D): No