Today, Mayor Dean Esposito introduced the City’s FY 2022-2023 Proposed Budget which addresses the current needs of Danbury and lays the groundwork for the future. The FY 2022-2023 Proposed Budget will focus on our education system, public safety and takes a strategic approach to our entire city government.
Remarks from Mayor Dean Esposito: I want to thank all the residents of our City for your support and belief in our mission. As your new Mayor, I am proud to present the Proposed Budget for the Fiscal Year commencing July 1, 2022, and ending on June 30, 2023.
This is a carefully crafted strategic plan that focuses our priorities on Public Safety, Public Health, and education while maintaining the effective delivery of quality services at an affordable cost to you, the taxpayer. I want to thank our incredible City Council. Your commitment to our city is truly remarkable. You’ve been key in our vision for the future.
Without you, we would not be the shining city on the hill. I want to also thank the Director of Finance, David St. Hilaire, and his entire team in the Finance Department as well as all of our city staff. The City’s FY 2022-2023 Proposed Budget addresses the current needs of the Danbury community and lays the groundwork for the future. The Covid-19 pandemic fundamentally changed our City, pushing us to be more agile and creative in running the City more effectively and efficiently.
The FY 2022-2023 Proposed Budget will focus on our education system, public safety and public health while taking a strategic approach to our entire city government. We must invest in our city for it to continue to succeed. Together, we stood firm as we fought the Covid-19 pandemic, and now as we enter 2022, we must not forget the challenges we endured that taught us how to adjust to “new norms”.
We must all unite and forge ahead together to accomplish our goals while traversing the stream of changes to COVID-19 mandates. In this budget, we make significant strides in continuing our success by being thoughtfully strategic. Stabilizing Certainty and Adapting to Uncertainty While there is exceptional uncertainty related to the pandemic, being fiscally flexible is the most effective way to deal with unforeseen circumstances.
The FY23 Budget deals with matters of certainty such as Public Safety, Public Health, education, taxes, and the COVID-19 pandemic while keeping us nimble enough to respond swiftly to unplanned challenges. The FY23 Annual Budget prioritizes Public Safety and Education in addition to Public Health because these are the key areas that have widespread impacts on the health, safety, and well-being of some of our most vulnerable populations.
Making Infrastructure and Revitalization a Top Priority Following the distinction of the past two administrations, I intend to lead with a focus true to the City's Mission which is to ensure a superior quality of life for its citizens by providing the most cost-effective municipal services while preserving the cultural, historical, and natural resources of the City. As your Mayor, I am motivated to ensure that the citizens of Danbury experience the true meaning of our Mission Statement.
Revitalizing downtown, repairing sidewalks, fixing the train systems, and increasing the number of tree plantings are among the projects we are undertaking to improve the City's infrastructure – in total – the FY23 Proposed Capital Budget include an investment of $30.1 million to fund over 100 community projects! Continuing to Invest in our Public Safety Our first responders were, and continue to be, critical during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As your Mayor, I have stood firmly in support of our Police force, Fire Fighters, EMTs, and health care workers. In the FY23 Annual Budget, we will continue investing in our public safety by adding 6 additional uniform police officers, additional funding for training, utilizing ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds for public safety needs to ensure our City continues to be ranked as one of the safest and best cities to live, work, and raise a family in the country.
• Funding of $214,000 to HeadStart and $208,000 for Education, Health & Welfare for a total direct funding for education.
• Total Education funding for the Proposed FY 2022-2023 Budget is $141.4 million.
• Pursuant to a mutual understanding between the City and the BOE, the BOE will be permitted to specifically designate their remaining FY21 surplus of $2.8 million to be used for future BOE non-recurring budgetary needs, if needed.
• Also, the BOE will receive Alliance Grant funds totaling $22.3 million – a $2.4 million increase from FY 2022-2023. • When funding from three sources is considered, the total increase in BOE funding for FY 2022- 2023 would be $9.3 million.
• Also, the City’s general fund covers BOE annual costs totaling $10.4 million for pension costs, debt service, building maintenance, field maintenance and snow removal, etc.
• In total, City funded costs associated with the BOE comprises over 54% of the $277.5 million budget.
The $4.1 million or 3% increase in funding to the BOE is the largest increase in several years. I commend the City Council and the Danbury Taxpayers for their continuous commitment and generosity to the Danbury BOE as demonstrated each year with their support of the annual allocation and their support for the $125 million BOE capital improvements over the last 10 years.
In addition to the $4.1 million increase proposed in the FY 2022-2023 Budget, a $207.9 Education Bond has also been proposed for the Danbury Career Academy, Elevator Tower for Hayestown Elementary, replacement of King Street Primary Roof, DHS Accreditation, and the construction of a new Pre-K/Early Childhood Center.
A Focused Approach with ARPA Funds The City and Board of Education have been awarded $32.0 million and $36.3 million, respectively of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to aid in the recovery efforts following the pandemic. In this budget, we outline a plan to spend $20 million to support 40 projects and programs in a smart and strategic way that restores and builds for Danbury’s future. We recognize that there are other needs that have yet to be identified and/or may arise so ample funds remain to be allocated to ensure the best outcomes for our residents.
In Conclusion The City of Danbury, by way of the FY 2022-2023 Budget and State Aid and grant funding, must work to restore the City's economic foundation to pre-pandemic status.
While the pandemic has taken its toll across the globe causing the financial crisis, the FY2022-2023 Budget focuses on Public Safety, Public Health, and Education to protect our most precious assets: The Citizens of Danbury.
In summary, our budget makes significant investments in Public Safety with adding 6 new police officers and a $4.1 million or a 3% increase in funding to the BOE, both are the largest increases in several years.
After three (3) consecutive years of zero change in the mill rate, the Mill Rate has necessarily increased by 0.62 Mills to 28.22. With a mill rate of 28.22, the typical homeowner will see a quarterly real estate tax bill that is about $40 higher.
I assure you that every effort was taken to minimize cuts, allocate funding to vital areas of community services, and minimize the tax burden on taxpayers. I encourage you to carefully review the budget which has been made available online and attend the ad-hoc meetings to address any questions or concerns you may have.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Mayor!