Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam submitted his first proposed budget to the clerk’s office on Monday afternoon.
“While there is so much work to be done and so much more I would love to invest in, we think this is a really solid start,” Arulampalam said.
Arulampalam’s budget totals $623.8 million for fiscal year 2025. That is a less-than-one percent increase from the previous year’s budget.
“We have balanced this budget by investing in key priorities and without increasing our taxes, our fees on city services,” Arulampalam said.
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Under the proposed budget, Arulampalam is making new investments aimed at improving the quality of life in the capital city. This includes a new sports and recreation department, a housing liaison, a new office to help small businesses and the Office of Violence Prevention.
“These are all things residents told me were important as I met with them, as I sat with them in their living room and heard from them directly about their challenges,” Arulampalam said.
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With the new programs, there are new city positions created, including three full-time roles to staff the new sports and recreation program. Compared to the previous year, the city’s proposed payroll for fiscal year 2025 increased 3.2% to $138.2 million.
There will be a public hearing on the proposed budget April 3.
