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Sprecace: Budget lacks details, vote no

Adam Sprecace New London

Publication: The Day

Published 09/15/2012 12:00 AM
Updated 09/14/2012 05:25 PM

Price for New London planned FY2013 expenses: $82,140,661. Cost to taxpayers for loss of historically received revenues: 1.91 mills; value of the budget document made available to the public: Worthless.

Is a $277,276 increase in expenditures over last year's budget reasonable? Yes (which is why, as a city councilor, I originally voted for the budget). Is a 7.5 percent tax increase needed to fill the revenue hole left by lost city income? Yes (which is why I originally voted for the mill rate).

Can I prove it? No.

Without a complete document that clearly shows the need for all planned expenditures (requested by me of the administration almost three months ago and several times since), the City Council has no way to exercise financial checks and balances over the course of the fiscal year.

The document currently available to the public excludes a tabulation of salaries (as required by Ordinance 2-14(a)), longevity payments, health insurance costs, workers compensation insurance costs, pension costs, and employment tax costs. It also excludes special revenue funds, internal service funds, pension roll details, enterprise funds, the capital budget, and debt service details.

On Sept. 18, vote no on both the budget and tax rate and demand accountability from your government.

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