NORWICH – At the Common Council meeting Tuesday night, the city welcomed comment on the 2007 budget. The tentative budget proposed a 5.85 percent tax rate increase. Aldermen formally adopted the budget at the meeting for all of the proposed funds.
Several city residents addressed the council, suggesting different ways of trimming the budget, including investing in computer systems to cut long-term costs and using more part -time employees to eliminate the expenses of benefits and vacation time.
Former mayoral candidate Mike Carnrike chastised the city for claiming that upon the first calculations a 38 percent tax rate increase would have been required. Carnrike called it a ‘smoke and mirrors’ trick. “There was never a 38 percent increase presented to the public, and I’m sure everyone can see through that tactic and dismiss it for what it is worth,” he said.
Carnrike expressed concern over a deferred payment of $220,000 to the contribution of state retirement that will be held over until next year. Added to the $220,000 that the city was already scheduled to pay to the state retirement, Carnrike said the city would start 2008 with a debt of $440,000.
Carnrike suggested several changes to the budget, which according to him would reduce the tax rate increase to 3 percent. He provided copies of his proposed changes to the interested city officials.
The council listened to several suggestions before the public hearing was over. They then passed resolutions adopting each of the funds listed in the budget individually without changes. The general fund budget was adopted at $6,608,081, the water fund budget at $1,105,740, the wastewater fund budget at $834,242, the special grants fund budget at $645,167, and the debt service fund budget at $898,205. For a total of 10,091,435. According to City Finance Director Bill Roberts, hopefully the formal budget will be published before the month is out.