nothin Harp: No Tax Hike | New Haven Independent

Harp: No Tax Hike

New Haven government will spend more money this coming fiscal year, but will keep taxes the same as last year — at least in the proposed budget Mayor Toni Harp plans to unveil Tuesday afternoon.

Harp offered a preview of her proposal during an appearance on the WNHH radio Mayor Monday” program.

Each year the mayor proposes a budget by March 1 for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1. Then the Board of Alders holds hearings on it, makes adjustments, votes on a new version, and sends it back to the mayor for her signature or veto.

Harp didn’t reveal the total size of the proposed general operating budget. But she said rises in some fixed costs have necessitated an increase. For instance, fire and police pension costs rose $8.5 million over this past year, largely driven by an increase in retirements by firefighters who were earning lots of overtime pay because of shortages in the ranks. Firefighters have their pensions calculated based on their four most recent years’ earnings. (Firefighters union President Frank Ricci offered this comment about the rise in pension costs: Members pay 11 percent of their pay into their pensions and firefighters are not eligible to collect social security. As well close to 40 percent of our members do not have overtime calculated into their pensions. Any large pensions that you see is the direct result of the previous administration’s willingness to violate the Constitution and Title 7 for political gain. The city has has been working diligently to fill command and leadership since the ruling in the Ricci case, which in turn will lower pensions and ensure the continuity of command.”)

Also, Harp said, keeping Board of Education services at their current levels will cost an estimated $8 million more each year, partly because of expired grants for staff positions considered essential.

Because her staff has identified other revenue sources (to be detailed on Tuesday), Harp said, she didn’t have to turn to city taxpayers to cover those rising costs. The total amount of revenue collected from city taxpayers will remain the same in the new proposed budget, she said.

New Haven just completed a citywide property revaluation. That means some individual taxpayers’ bills will rise while others fall. Harp said that anyone whose property values rose more than 7 percent will see a higher bill. Anyone whose property values rose less than 7 percent (or fell) will see a smaller bill. Residential property values overall rose 7 percent over the previous year; the grand list (which includes commercial and personal property) rose 8.4 percent.

Responding to calls from listeners, Harp said she had not been aware that a proposed but as-yet unapproved new boy’s‑only charter school had begun recruiting students through the Board of Ed and had a listing on the website; she said the listing has been taken down. Asked about the mayoral candidacy of Marcus Paca, Harp, who’s running for a third term, responded, Everyone can run for mayor or any other office. That’s what makes this country great.” She said when she ran into Paca at last week’s Board of Ed meeting, I told him I’d meet him on the campaign trail.”

Click on or download the above audio file to hear the full episode of WNHH radio’s Mayor Monday,” which also covered Harp’s ascension to the chairmanship of a regional planning group, the South Central Regional Council of Governments.

The episode of was made possible with the support of Gateway Community College and Berchem, Moses & Devlin, P.C.

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