January 17, 2010

Ward begs for mandate relief

Here is a note that Mayor Art Ward sent to the city's legislative delegation yesterday:

DO SOMETHING - As the mayor of the 11th largest community in the State of Connecticut, I am totally frustrated with the lack of consideration by the Governor, the General Assembly and our local legislative delegation for the budgetary concerns of our communities.
We are acutely aware of the economic constraints of the community, the state and the nation resulting from the ongoing recession but we are also totally perplexed with the lack of a plan or a direction from either the state or the nation with regard to the responsibility of the communities to deliver unfunded mandated services to our citizens.
The debate for the delivery of any of these unfunded mandates can readily be substantiated but the fact of the matter exists as to whether or not the cities/towns have the financial resources to provide the unfunded dictates of Hartford or Washington.  
This is a plea to our state legislature and our congressional delegation to grasp the reality that their actions, or lack thereof, are determining the ability of the local governments to comply with the needs of their communities.
While we are told that all of our concerns are paramount in the legislative process, the cites and towns are not experiencing any realistic, workable consideration for monetary relief from the constraints of unfunded mandates or any other viable alternatives to the dictates imposed upon our citizens.
I have testified about my views on this lack of awareness before numerous state committees and commissions, I have written and expressed my views to our state and federal representatives numerous times over the past two years and I am more frustrated over the lack of realistic acknowledgement of this quagmire than I am over whatever the ultimate decisions might be. 
Truthful, forthcoming, realistic decisions or discussions would afford the communities the ability to make sound, rational budgetary plans for the future of the taxpayers of our communities.
Most communities will soon be engaging in the annual budgetary process and uncertainty in these worst of economic times will definitely surface as the financial ogre determining this dilemma.
I respectfully request that our cities and towns be afforded accurate, financially responsible information and that we benefit from realistic, mutual, truthful approaches to the delivery of services to our citizens.
******
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is one of the possible outcomes when you become part of a larger entity i.e regionalize.

You lose control over your own destiny.

Anonymous said...

Well do something then!Stop blaming the governor and the legislative delegation and show some leadership!

Anonymous said...

Typical Democrat...take the easy way out and blame someone else for your failure. Grow up and take some responsibility Mr. Ward

Anonymous said...

NOW Ward comes out? Where was he last year? C'mon Ward enough of the smoke screens!

Anonymous said...

It's got to be frustrating when the legislators of your own party won't lift a finger to help. Hang in there, Art. The faces will change next November, and then we'll make progress.

Anonymous said...

Art,

What have you done to cut costs?

Have you done all that can be done at this level?

Anonymous said...

Artie's 2010 strategy:

1. Beg for relief from the State
2. Borrow from city pension funds to balance budget
3. Steal from Bristol citizens by raising our taxes.

Congratulations supporters of Mayor Ward, Bristol is now well on its way to being a lost cause!

silence is the rule said...

hamzy only left the blame to the democrats without doing anything himself either - they should all be booted out this november.
where is bugle-boy frank, booming bette, whining wright or toupee tommy in this mess - sitting back and being yelping lap dogs.

Anonymous said...

And what is it that the republicans want? They don't want you to know. Lift a finger? Which one are they lifting?

Anonymous said...

GASB 45 GASB 45 GA$B 45 GA$B 45

Layoffs Layoffs Layoffs latoffs
Especially the guys who ride around in brighly colored pick up trucks all day and stop at the post office or the doughnut shop!

Anonymous said...

Art exactly what do you want relief from ? Be exact it may help your cause .

Anonymous said...

What would the State or Fed's do if an organized group of Mayor's and First Selectman took a public pledge to refuse to raise property taxes in their communities in order to pay for those unfunded mandates?

What could they do to this organized group of municipal leaders when they didn't actually make provision or enact those things dependent on those unfunded mandates?

Take them all to court?
Throw them all in jail?


Maybe it's time the leaders of these cities and towns reversed the situation and sent the State and Feds a yearly bill listing those unfunded mandates?
Sue them in court for damages when they don't pay up.

Bet all those Mayor's and Selectman would get re-elected, big time!!

Tax Revolt. Burn the tea and dump it in the harbor.

Is Artie hosting a meeting of CT's Mayors and First Selectman anytime soon?
Is he just going to keep whining ad nauseum.

Anonymous said...

Dont blame ART he had to deal with Stortz and the mess he left.

Anonymous said...

Take heed 7:45 If they do change it sure as hell won't be any of you! If they do what will you jerks do?

Anonymous said...

Mr. Ward,

Please, please, tell us what mandates YOU would cut.

That might help us help you.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

11:38

Stortz left Ward with a balanced budget, a huge Fund Balance,a warning that the economy was slipping and to take heed. Stortz added to infrastructure maintenance with the help of Zoppo, and left some ongoing cost saving efforts that Ward has since dropped. Stortz also got a contract that increased the amount some employees pay for their medical.
Having worked for 4 mayors, Stortz certainly wasn't the worst, and probably took the most business like approach to running things.
Don't forget, Ward fought Stortz all the way: in fact he fought everybody, just as he does now.

If he inherited a mess, and I do not think he did, just what has Ward done in the 26 months he has been in office?

Anonymous said...

9:24 PM's 2010 strategy:

1. Attack Ward for asking for relief from the State.
2. Bitch about city budget and blame Ward for recession.
3. Whine, whine, whine...

Congratulations 9:24, you are now well on your way to becoming the biggest whiner on the blog!

sewer mouth said...

9:24 - the lost causes are flakes like you who do nothing but flood this blog with multiple postings so that we will be led to believe that others would actually take you serious - what a joke - did mama abandon you or just leave you under a rock in the hope that you would get washed out to sea - talk about environmental pollution.

Anonymous said...

Ward begs for beer - not mandate relief.

Anonymous said...

4:13 Is STORTZ IF WE COULDNT TELL.

Anonymous said...

1:32

Obviously you can't!

Anonymous said...

Wow 1:15, hope you didn't strain yourself coming up with that gem of a comment. Guess you're one of those overgrown children who think 3rd grade level insults are "witty." Guess again...

Anonymous said...

Art, whoever you have for a speech writer, get rid of them!

You don't even talk that bad!

A........B......dud said...

it's obvious that 1:15 never made it to 3rd grade and probably the first in the family to attend kindergarden - thank goodness that it wasn't ALL DAY - they didn't have DEPENDS back then.

Anonymous said...

Well said 4:13!

odds aren't - but said...

and where is the rest of our legislators, outta sight?
somebody needs to do something other than play games on computers or smile pretty for the cameras up in hartford. It might be different but they might even like it.

Anonymous said...

Well 4:13 you are right on point .I guess some people do not want their hero trashed.