View of Stratford From Town Hall
Mayor Harkins has released his election year budget. Proposed Budget. As in the past, with an 8 to 2 majority on the Town Council, it is very unlikely there will be any significant changes to the proposed budget. Oh, there will be budget “workshops” and maybe a public forum or two, but rest assured this budget will pass intact. The only discussion that might occur will be here and on other blogs.
As we have stated many times, the most significant decisions that directly effect your mortgage, rent, vehicle, business and your environment are the decisions made in Town Hall. Yet most citizens and businesses merely shrug their shoulders and write their checks. We have provided a link to the proposed budget and urge readers to at least give it a look. Of course, you will see that not much has changed over the last 7 or 8 budgets other than the budget is becoming less clear and less transparent. Oh, the same old tricks are still in use. Our personal favorite remains the Town Attorney’s budget. This year it is only $1.5 million with another $300,000 buried in Human Resources legal fees. That won’t be counting later budget transfers of course. And where, you might ask, does most of this money go? Apparently, we are not entitled to know.
And then there is the Water Pollution Control Authority (sewers). With nearly $500,000 paid directly to the General Fund for “contractual services” and $600,000 in “Miscellaneous Revenue” also paid into the General Fund, it remains a “fee”. Yet we are asked to pay 11% more in sewer use “fees” next year.
And who will question or oppose this budget? No one. Our prediction is that this budget will sail through with a 9 to 1 vote. The only dissenting vote will be Stephanie Phillips. Not a single member of the RTC on the Council will vote against it. And what of the Democrats? They remain a cult of Miron leftovers and are unable to convince anyone that they are a credible organization.
