May 15, 2008

Budget cuts likely to prove painful

Slicing more than $2 million from the city’s Board of Finance-backed budget plan isn’t easy.
To haul the slated 1.5 mills property tax hike down to a less painful 1 mill increase, “there’s going to be sacrifices that have to be made,” said Mayor Art Ward.
Nothing’s off the table as officials scour the $170 million budget they’re eyeing now in a bid to hold property taxes down – not even the Mum Festival.
“You have to reassess everything in the budget,” the mayor said.
Whether some or all of the Mum Festival’s $16,000 allocation get sliced won’t even be clear when the final budget passes Monday.
Ward said he’s looking to lop $30,000 from the tourism and arts line item, which could mean a reduction to the Mum Festival, but that’s a decision for later by the special committee that assesses how best to fork over municipal money for cultural needs.
It would “totally out of whack,” though, to say the Mum Festival will suffer unduly in the fiscal shakedown, the mayor said.
Even so, Ward said, “nobody is exempt from the process.”
Among those facing reductions is the St. Vincent DePaul Society’s homeless shelter, which may have to get by with $5,000 less from the city, enough to create hardship for the always financially strapped organization.
The Bristol Visiting Nurse Association is targeted for a $60,000 reduction, said Ward. Both Ward and city Comptroller Glenn Klocko said the cut is on the table because the group has a large rainy day fund of its own.
Ward said that when the finance board approved the first draft of the budget, the state was still looking at a surplus. Now state leaders figure they might have an $80 million deficit instead, which could grow larger still.
“It’s not a good time,” the mayor said. “But it’s a time of realization. I have to be looking at the taxpayers’ ability to pay.”
Ward said that with people facing higher bills, the city can’t ask them to pay more in taxes than the bare minimum.
“I have to look at it as responsibly as possible,” the mayor said.
He said he’s trying to preserve services and avoid layoffs by postponing purchases and projects, including some he’s long supported, such as renovating the firehouses.
“We’re doing what we have to do to exist as a community,” Ward said.
The mayor said he’s surprised at how things have turned around since he took office.
“What’s transpired in the last six months has been a 180 from what I anticipated,” Ward said.
The final budget is slated for passage at a joint session of the finance board and City Council at 5 p.m. Monday.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Early retirement incentives. Golden Handshakes. Get rid of the dead weight. Building Department Secretary could go. They don't need 2 down there!!!!

I'm sure there are plenty of people that could retire and save us money in unnecessary salaries.

Anonymous said...

Mayor Ward

Why don't you assess who is vested enough to retire? This will avoid layoffs and will decrease taxes. Companies do it all the time just to downsize expenses.

Anonymous said...

The Mum Festival is one of the last things that the citizens have left that defines us as a community and pulls us together.

I'm sure there are other things that could get cut that wouldn't affect the moral of the citizens of this town. The Mayor is just afraid that if he does make the right cuts, the union won't support him in the next election.

Think about the residents that elect you - not the union that has your hands tied behind your back.

Anonymous said...

There go the faceless know-it-alls again.

Anonymous said...

Mayor Ward: you can't say you and the BOF weren'yt given a heads up unless you and the BOF didn't bother to read the memo from the last mayor.

And where was your Comptroller????

Anonymous said...

Why don't we reassign the people who are inspecting our garbage? Have them do real jobs.

Anonymous said...

"postponing"

To when and at what cost??

Anonymous said...

the tourism committee works hard and have made a difference in the community by helping non-profits. A $30,000 cut is a little much. Shouldn't the city be responsible for some of the city image issues?

Anonymous said...

"tourism committee" who in their right mind would vacation in Bristol !!!! Get rid of the fluff Mayor. Money is down to eat or heat for some people in Bristol.. Oh BTW 16 GRAND for a MUM PARADE GIVE ME A BREAK !!!!

Anonymous said...

START THE LAY OFFS SOON WE CANT SURVIVE.

Anonymous said...

"START THE LAY OFFS SOON WE CANT SURVIVE."

I spoke with your boss. He's having a hard time making ends meet, gas prices, inflation, insurance...he agreed with you. Layoffs should start soon. You can clean off your desk on Monday!

Anonymous said...

Painful to who, Art Ward?

Anonymous said...

Seriously Art, what did you anticipate?