For another year, spending in Hartford will be lean and heavily dependent on state support.
In addition, key costs like debt service, healthcare and legal settlements are on the rise.
Overall, Mayor Luke Bronin proposed a budget that spends more than $560 million but doesn't raise taxes. Hartford's mill rate of more than 72 is already the highest in the state. The mayor also makes cuts to some programs, where he hopes private investors would step in to fill the gap.
“There are no frills in this budget," Bronin said during a press conference Monday.
The city will have to pay $14 million more for debt service that was refinanced during previous administrations, $8 million more for healthcare, and nearly $7 million to settle lawsuits, one of which dates back to 2010.
However, the mayor is also able to tout more than $4 million in labor savings from firefighters announced last year and he said $4 million more in labor savings is a reasonable target for the next fiscal year.
"We're almost there," said Hartford City Council President TJ Clarke. Clarke doesn't agree with everything in Bronin's budget, but said more difficult choices need to be made when the city doesn't have reliable sources to fund city services.
"We need new ways to raise revenue," Clarke said.
To that end, Bronin once again focused on the property tax burden the city has. He remarked how Hartford has less taxable property than nearby West Hartford, and just barely has more than neighboring Glastonbury, Farmington and Manchester.
Bronin called on the state to fill a hole of about $40 million and have corporate partners cover another $10 million, which was previously announced.
"My hope is that the state will work with us to close that gap and the corporate community will be part of that comprehensive solution," Bronin said.
Last month Aetna, The Hartford and Travelers announced the three companies would send $10 million combined each year for five years to Hartford, so long as it was part of a solution for the city's financial woes. Bronin's plan has the state bearing the largest burden, but said there's no other choice. Further, he says the city has done its part, eliminating 100 jobs in the last year, and cutting spending.
"The budget we’re putting forward is a bare-bones, essential services only budget."
Clarke views the situation in the same way as Bronin. If Hartford is going get back on its feet, he said, then state lawmakers will have to help make that happen.
Clarke said, "Hopefully the folks at the capitol are going to see that we’re doing the best that we can with limited resources, but at the end of the day we’re going to need state assistance.”
