A big tax hike is possible this year
Despite a sagging economy that’s put a tenth of the city’s workers on the jobless rolls, the Board of Finance is eyeing a 6.4 percent hike in property taxes this year.
Mayor Art Ward said the increase is in the city’s best interests while Finance Chairman Rich Miecznikowski said the proposed mill rate would ease the city’s fiscal worries for the long run.
A majority of finance commissioners said this week they would support raising the mill rate from 25.99 to 27.65 for the budget year that begins July 1. Click here for the story.
Some are opposed to such a big tax hike
Critics are taking aim at a proposed property tax hike.
“It’s bull,” said city Councilor Ken Cockayne.
“I would vote against it today,” said Bob Casar, the newest member of the Board of Finance.
Janet Moylan, another finance commissioner, said that with so many out of work or struggling, she’s not sure such a large tax hike is responsible. Click here for the story.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
22 comments:
It needn't be!
Where are the cuts, the staff reduction?
April 14, 2010 6:27 AM
Move to France.
Don't worry about it, it's not your money.
It's time for the cops and the firemen to make a sacrifice. I (and probably everyone else too) pay almost in property taxes than I do Federal Income Tax.
The rape of the taxpayers by the government sector must end now.
What about the schools going to a 4 day work week? Would the state allow that? I am sure there would be some savings in that. What about City hall closing 1 day a week? I think most tax payers can careless if City Hall is closed 1 day a week to close a budget gap that might raise taxes. Oh wait - the Union wont allow it? Furloughs for City workers what is that?
Seems to me that we have learned nothing in Bristol about the economy and the ability of people to pay more. We have our Board of Ed living with a well known bloated budget( and don't start with we will have to cut some sports program) perhaps a better place to start would be the elimination of the "Dine and Discuss Program" where teachers meet at rotating homes to have diner paid for by taxpayers and delivered by catering firms to boot! How unnecessary. And as for the bargaining units refusing to discuss to come to the table with real reductions, this can only happen in the make believe world of public employees ( federal,state and local). I must admit that we all should get on our hands and knees and thank God that we have one of a handful of cities in the country with pension funds that are over funded, but when you look at the future obligations, we are heading for serious trouble. Only in the make believe budget world of government finance can someone say that an increase in bottom line spending is a cut. That is the predicament that we find ourselves with as this debate unfolds - real world vs fairy tale world. We elected our Mayor and City Council to make tough decisions. No one said it would be easy. Please our future depends on all of you using your collective minds to find new solutions to problems which were left on the table by administrations now long gone who refused to make those tough decisions and instead let it all ride on some future bunch of elected officials doing the heavy lifting. Not good enough then and really no room for that kind of thought now. Please, if anyone out there has ever thought about the need to improve our community consider volunteering your time and energy to helping improve our future, not destroying it with policies that just mortgage our grandchildren's future.
7:51
My taxes exceed $8,000.
And I earn it.
How about you?
April 14, 2010 10:44 AM
i have section 8 housing, your paying for that to.
internet is included with my cable so i'm alright.
11:44
I would be ASHAMED to admit it.
Where is Jason?
11:44AM~Sooner Than Later That Is Going To END! You Have "Literally"
Raped The System...My Advice To You Is To Get Off Your A_S and Find Some Employment OR You Will Be HOMELESS...You Can't Get Cable & Internet Hookup in The Woods...Mark My Word...It Will Happen!
Stop the unions and make the cuts now.
Due to Klocko's bungling at least 5 million dollars are being added to the budget in short term bonding used to prop up the city's phony rainy day fund which was squandered on the mall property, not to mention the extra cash being thrown down the black hole (downtown development Corp) managed by that other buffoon Frank Johnson. Add that to $200,000 and counting on binding arbitration costs and Klocko's inability to put together a viable retiree health care deal and no wonder we are seeing a tax hike.
11:44 A.M. and 3:25 P.M.
You are no section 8 and you should not be answer your own posting.
Who do you think you are fooling?
April 14, 2010 8:55 AM:
City Hall can be closed all week for all I care. I have a job in the real world (the private sector)and the hours at City Hall are completely contrary to my schedule (although my taxes pay for these exorbitantly over-paid, arrogant government buffoons).
Cockayne and McCauley should be high up on the learning curve by now.
Where are their POSITIVE ideas?
Cockayne has no positive ideas..all we hear from him is it's the unions fault.
He needs to get to work himself and cut city spending. He also supports the new school disaster which we cannot afford. He claims to be pro taxpayer...what a joke!!
McCauley is lost without Zoppo, and Cockayne is just plain lost.
McCauly and Cockayne are two of the worst council people in a long time.
Others may know less, but these two think that they know everything.
did you see mccaly stumbling all over himself at the city council meeting? if he stopped repeating himself, he wouldn' have nothing to say.
What have Fuller and Mills added to the Council?
And they want to extend the terms??
As far as I'm concerned, the last few posters are taking this opportunity to bash cockayne and mccauley because they have a personal agenda, obviously. cockayne and mccauley are doing an excellent job as councilmen and you would know that if you paid more attention. by the way, there are four other councilpeople but i suppose in your twisted mind they have nothing to do with the budget or the city. it's just cockayne and mccauley. your argument is one sided and pathetic and obviously false.
Wheres CSAR???
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