Mayor Deals With Taxpayer
Stratford increases spending 6% overall, 2.5% for schools.
By Greg Reilly on May 12, 2014
“The Stratford Town Council at its monthly meeting on May 12 adopted a 2015 operating budget that increases overall spending 6%, increases the mill (tax) rate 2.8%, and increases spending for schools 2.5%.
The approved overall expense budget of $204,231,075 is $48,465 more than Mayor John Harkins has proposed” http://www.stratfordstar.com/21153/stratford-increases-spending-6-overall-2-5-for-schools/
Never mind that funding Town-wide obligations with the sewer use fees is illegal. Never mind that no one has received the kind of raises that Town non-union employees will get. Never mind that no cost cutting measures were even proposed. Never mind that the BOE budget is unreadable. Never mind that property values have decreased. Never mind that the Grand List is flat with no plan to increase it. The Council, to absolutely no one’s surprise, has given Harkins even more than he asked for.
While some homeowners will grumble, take out their checkbooks and just write the check in July, others particularly seniors and working families will feel real pain.
Council elections are a full 18 months away. But you must remember this; The Republican Council voted for these outrageous increases without the slightest objection.
