When the Board of Finance meets for a workshop session tonight, members are likely to search for ways to slice a proposed 6.4 percent property tax hike.
Mayor Art Ward said officials will endeavor to cut the proposed $172.5 million spending plan that would hike property taxes by 1.66 mills for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
That plan, which has not been endorsed by any city board, was left on the table following the most recent finance board meeting.
That plan, which has not been endorsed by any city board, was left on the table following the most recent finance board meeting.
But it quickly became clear that it might be difficult to muster the political support for so large a tax hike during such a rough economy. CLICK HERE FOR STORY.
*******Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
24 comments:
About time! Close City Hall once a week - how about closing the schools once a week next year? There are a ton of options that should be considered but I never hear of any! What happened with the idea of turning off some street lights? What about furloughs?
They don't have a ton of options - all the low-hanging fruit is long gone. Closing the schools a week earlier would not save any money because the teachers are paid a salary, and the buildings would have to be open the same number of hours because that's mandated by the State. The Public Works Board is coming up with a list of street lights that could be turned off, but that's pennies. Furloughs? Easy for you to say, since it isn't your family that will have to do without that $500 per week. Taxes are going to have to go up. Hopefully enough people on the Board of Finance are mature enough to understand that.
A furlough is way better than a layoff. Before taxes are raised every option should be reviewed and considered before any tax increase is approved. We have got to cut spending. This can be done while maintaining services in mind but reducing overlap and waste.
I meant to say how about closing the schools one day a week next year?
Odin - get over it - taxes should be the lowest amount possible! The city should not be in the business of making money. The problem we have in Bristol is an over inflated school budget! The city needs a COO and when the next union contracts are up - the city should think about going private for a lot of the services in Bristol.
All Departments work for the Mayor, not the Board of Finance
Where is he on all this?
Has anyone provided any information as to how we compare with other towns with similar demographics?
And, I suggest that you check and see the status of the people leaving Bristol for towns with better education systems.
Closing schools one day a week is a terrible and unrealistic idea, and would severely hamper any future economic growth in Bristol. Think about it. The rest of the country goes to school 5 days a week, including all our neighboring towns. As a matter of fact many school districts are expanding the school day and adding all day kindergarten. So what young family with children would choose to move to a town that has a four day school week, when they could choose any of the surrounding towns and get a standard 5 day week. Whatever small tax savings you'd get with the four day week, would certainly be offset by loss in property values.
Too bad union hacks and public labor groupies like Odin aren't "mature" enough to understand all muni employees need to re-open their contracts and make some serious and substantial concessions.
Oh-dumb's beloved public employee unions have been raping us all for too long!
should have raised the taxes last year just a little then it wouldn't hurt so bad now. we're got all sorts of unfunded mandates from the state and the state has them from the fed. govt. it's a trickle down and the middle class shoulders the burden, as usual! what can you do? if you layoff city employees, it'll hurt everyone and it'll hurt services. city hall and all those departments are already strapped and down to bare bones as it is. you can forget about any projects getting done such as potholes and street stuff that we really need that was neglected for ten years while nicastro was in power.
So according to the government-groupie, union hack it's OK for the majority of us who don't work for the state or the city to pay $500 a year more in taxes but it's not OK for the people who work for the city and state (and who enjoy exorbitant benefits, pensions and salaries) to take a -$500 furlough?
There are tons of schools all ready in the country that at 4 days a week to save tax payer money. Doing the 4 days a week is not forever its to save jobs before layoffs need to start...I guess what you are saying is to just go ahead and start layoffs? Plus who is moving to Bristol? NO ONE!
There's not really tons, more like 100 nationwide and mainly in rural county school districts that are spread out over hundreds of square miles. I couldn't find any public school districts on the east coast that have bought into it. The savings come in transportation costs, so for school districts that cover large geographical areas, it might be worth it. Public school districts in the northeast are generally divided by town, and don't cover large areas. With Bristol being a mere 27 square miles, I doubt there would be much savings by not running the buses one day a week.
It's too bad you take the attitude of "no one's moving to Bristol". Unfortunately, that attitude has been prevalent in Bristol for a long time, and is big reason why Bristol has the reputation it has and looks the way it does. We can't blame the politicians for that, we can only blame ourselves. Dollar stores, pawn shops, and bad Chinese food and square pizza are here for a reason, and that's because these are the types of businesses we support. As long as we keep feeding into the "we're second rate" way of thinking, we always will be second rate. Again, not the politician's faults....our faults. I realize I got off topic here, but the negativity drives me nuts.
Look around this city is a piece of crap! it offers nothing! Half my shopping is done outside of Bristol and all my Friday and Saturday nightlife is out of Bristol as well. So, if you are a single/married couple with no children - would you want to move to Bristol? Not!
There are plenty of welfare seekers moving to Bristol thanks to the special interests that control the Democrat Party and government groupies that support the Democrats.
And I wouldn't even give Odin credit for being a union hack. He's just a union-hack wanna-be.
To the person that wrote about single-married no kids..Your right and the city knows this. They need to have the no kid couple living in Bristol. If people with kids jut keep moving into this town - people with those kids will not be able to afford to to stay here because the taxes will be to high. There needs to be some off-set. But I think it might be to late and taxes are about to hit the fan!
7:34: Last time I looked, this "piece of crap" city didn't have a fence around it. If you think it's soooooooo bad...LEAVE. There are plenty of us who are proud of our town and are working to making it better...you're leaving would help.
April 21, 2010 10:50 AM - already in the works and so is 4 other houses on my road! idiot! This city is a mess! Keep raising taxes and I am sure ESPN has no problem building new buildings in North Carolina.
April 21, 2010 10:50 AM
Well said.
April 21, 2010 11:53 AM
Do let the door hit you on the way out of Bristol.
Bristol is better off than most and a great place to live.
April 21, 2010 12:29 PM - prove it!
When you do - please include the drug raid at Davis drive last week as part of your argument! And the murder not to long ago. How come I never hear of these things in W.Hartford,Glastonbury,Berlin,Burlington, and Farmington? Your right there is a ton of other better safer places to live. Don't forget to include all the blight in town as well. Have a great day - remember - be very Thankful ESPN is in Bristol,CT!
11:53: Mmmmm...I thought the air smelled a little sweeter. Maybe you should let your neighbors know that you're moving, so they don't have to (idiot)!!! LMAO!
"...And the murder not to long ago. How come I never hear of these things in W.Hartford,Glastonbury,Berlin,Burlington, and Farmington?"
A MURDER not too long ago???? HORRORS. I hate to burst your tiny bubble, but there are many cities where murder is an everyday occurence. As for West Hartford, they found a body there this morning. The other towns have also had murders "not too long ago."
Bristol is a great city. ESPN obviously thinks it's worth investing in, as do many others. I'm thankful that I live here, and I'll be even more thankful if you make good on your word and LEAVE. Good luck to whichever poor unfortunate municipality that you pick to spin your next web in. With citizens like you, who needs enemies? Buh-Bye!!!
April 21, 2010 4:39 PM - donkey! Their was no body found in West Hartford. Also, I think Mr.Collins has an article on the increased vandalism in the North End. Bristol is headed in the wrong direction and is a mess!
9:29: Donkey?...geesh, how incredibly witty...
Anyway, there are plenty of us who love our hometown and think it's a great place to live. You don't?...Well then, I think 12:29 PM said it best...don't let the door hit you on the way out...and thanks for doing your share to make Bristol a little bit of a nicer place to live for the rest of us. BYE!
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