New Britain Committee Budget Meeting - May 7, 2025
New Britain Committee Budget Meeting - May 7, 2025
The Committee on Administration, Finance and Law and Public Services held a special meeting on May 7, 2025, at 6:01 PM, adjourning at 7:11 PM. The committee reviewed three budget resolutions for fiscal year 2025-2026, heard presentations from multiple city departments, and tabled all resolutions pending a continuation meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public signed up to speak.
Discussion Items
- Item 36785-1: General Fund Budget for FY 2025-2026: A motion was made by Alderwoman Beloin Savedra, seconded by Alderman Russell, to refer this resolution to the full council with a neutral recommendation. The committee then heard presentations from the following departments:
- Corporation Counsel (Mary Pakorski): Budget decreased by a few hundred dollars; four full-time positions; handles litigation, collective bargaining, FOI requests, and contract review for both the city and Board of Education.
- Mayor's Office (Justin Dorsey): Budget virtually unchanged, with a 2.5% increase for non-mayor staff due to contractual raises.
- Finance Department (Jonathan Perigini, Mike, Cheryl): The assessor's budget is down 1.79% due to reduced professional services and lower costs for vehicle valuation guides. Revenue collection budget is similar, with one unfilled position. Finance department salaries increased due to a position transfer; professional services increased $45,000 for software upgrade and training; pavement management added $50,000. New cannabis sales revenue is estimated at $250,000.
- Human Resources (Linda Gard): Budget cut by nearly $38,000; three and a half employees; handles recruitment, benefits, employee relations, and fair rent/housing complaints; increase in physical and psychological exam costs noted.
- Public Works (Mark Moriarty): Mayor's proposed budget shows a 1.12% increase ($168,245) over the current year; provided extensive inventory of city infrastructure; noted new catch-basin cleaning initiative funded by the Clean Water Fund.
- Registrar of Voters (Peter Gostin): Budget cut by about $36,000 from their request; new tabulators and voter registration system coming; new cellular service for poll pads may reduce need for hotspots.
- Town and City Clerk (Mark Bernacki): Budget decreased $24,000 due to retirements; office generates over $2 million in fees (primarily conveyance tax) and returns about $1.4 million surplus to the city.
- Item 36786-1: Special Revenue Funds and Enterprise Funds Budget for FY 2025-2026: A motion was made to refer to full council with neutral recommendation. No department presentations were given before the item was tabled.
- Item 36787-1: Capital Improvement Program Appropriation for FY 2025-2026: A motion was made to refer to full council with neutral recommendation. No department presentations were given before the item was tabled.
Key Outcomes
- All three resolutions were tabled by voice vote (motion by Alderman McNamara, seconded by Alderwoman Beloin Savedra) pending the continuation of the meeting on May 8, 2025. No final votes were taken on the budgets; the committee forwarded neutral recommendations to the full council.
Meeting Transcript
How was your trip that wasn't it was it like impromptu? Yeah, Allie planned it five days with uh five days to go. We normally go every year for her birthday, but she got laid off from Aetna this year. Oh like Aetna's like getting rid of all of it, it's hard for people. Yeah. Um so we have like a tighter travel budget and we were like, I know usually guys are like every maybe hold off and then she's Patterson Park is your day trip. Yeah, yeah. But so that was such a neat thing. Oh, yeah, no, at Jazz Fest. I mean, it was her birthday too, right? Yeah, so her birthday falls like on Jazz Fest, and so we try to go. Uh it's where I proposed. Oh my god. Oh, your cats can manage on their own. We're trying to get a condo down there. Yeah, um I don't want to be like like a house owner, but I would like to be a condo owner down there and like go down for like a month. Yeah, it's it's great. Oh, you guys have you guys exude fun. I just love your energy. Well, um come grab two can grab a beer. Uh five corners. That's that's my meetup spot. Um and so Steve Collins was my hairdresser for years. The guy who that batteries how did you meet him? Uh he was just there and he offered to help me clean up and like he's living with his mother right now to find any help. Yeah, I'm gonna do that. And he's like he was like, I was homeless for years. Oh, yeah, that was like he had his own business. So for a while, and I think that's a good one. I'm hoping he lands on his feet. Oh but he like you know let's let's let's catch up. I have to start sorry, old pals. We have a quorum good evening, everyone. Sorry for the chit chat. I call to order the May 7th, 2025 special meeting of the Committee on Administration, Finance and Law and Public Services. The time is now 6.01 PM. Mr. Clerk, will you please call the roll or Miss Clerk? Whomever is available. Alderman Connors, Alderwoman Barbosa, Alderman McNamara, here in Santiago, Alderman Simpson, Alderman Gibson. Here Alderman Pabone, Alderman Smedley, Alderwoman Beloin Savedra. Alderwoman McAdam. Alderman Russell. Um please note that Alderman Russell is an alternate for Alderman Smedley and Alderwoman McAdam is an alternate for either Alderman Santiago or Alderman Simpson. You have a quorum. Thank you, Ms. Clerk. We are going to open the floor to public participation. Uh I don't have a list in front of me. Do we have anyone signed up?
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