Greenwich Residents Will Get Less Town Services For Their Tax Dollars, Because Of Costy Over Runs At Hamilton School
TOP STORY:
HEADLINES:
First Selectman Peter Tesei is calling on municipal department heads and school officials to rein in spending
Cost overruns at Hamilton Avenue School and bills from hiring outside legal counsel are cutting into the bottom line.
Finance officials dipped into last year's $7.5 million contingency fund for $2.4 million to pay for a combination of expenses that included legal bills from outside lawyers hired by the town, cost overruns in the Hamilton Avenue School renovation and other activities like busing little children all over town.
QUOTES:
"There's no question that we need to be proactive in managing our resources in light of the economic condition around the country," said First Selectman Peter Tesei, who met Tuesday with senior town managers to discuss belt-tightening measures. "Does the project have to be done in the year that it's being requested due to some federal or state mandate or is it something that is discretionary?" "Also, does the town have the ability to undertake the project in the year which the funds are budgeted. If not so, then don't ask me for the money."
"We're still dealing with an economy that is not as robust as we would like it, and, as a result, of this economic climate, we are going to have to make adjustments to the budget," Stephen Walko, chairman of the Board of Estimate and Taxation said. "Obviously, you plan ahead in the hope that can avoid having significant cuts or have services negatively impacted (next year) by taking prophylactic measures in the current fiscal year."
THE STORY:
Say good-bye to the days of generous budget surpluses and discretionary spending. Even Greenwich - the town with the largest tax base in the state and annual budget approaching $400 million - is starting to show signs that it isn't immune from the economic malaise....
...On the revenue side of the ledger, the town is expected to lose a combined $1.2 million in property tax revenues this year and next from all eight local private country clubs, which are getting credits on their bills as part of a settlement of a lawsuit over their assessments...
..."Until that project has all of its land use approvals, construction money should not be sought," Walko said.
The project requires at least three zoning variances for height, density and parking, officials said.
Tesei, the first selectman said, said he agreed with Walko on the matter and does not view it as a delay for project.
"If you don't have the approvals, then you don't need the appropriation at this time," Tesei said.
But What About This Extra $200,000 That Is On Top Of The $500,000 Request That Frank Mazza Is Going To Ask For On Monday????
More News Links From The Greenwich Time:
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The annual scrimmage between Greenwich High School and Brunswick might not count in the standings, but as far as deciding town bragging rights, its as close to the real thing as these teams are going to get.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hasn't made history yet. It was 24 years ago that the first woman won a major political party's vice presidential nomination.
To the editor:
John McCain, in his nomination acceptance speech, decried the incompetence of his own party over the past eight years.
The United States has 2% of the world's proven oil reserves but consumes one-quarter of global oil production. According to the Energy Information Administration, expanded offshore drilling would not have a "significant" impact on oil production for more than two decades. The EIA also predicts that drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve would reduce dependence on foreign oil - by 2030 and only "slightly."
News flash for John McCain and Sarah Palin: We aren't going to drill our way to energy independence.
According to three Nobel laureates in economics, McCain's proposed gas tax holiday would generate "major" profits for big oil while doing little to lower prices at the pump. Is that what McCain means by "fighting for you"?
We need an administration and Congress that will make policy decisions based on facts, not chants; an administration which defines "you" as average Americans, not large corporations. That's why I'm voting for Barack Obama for president and Jim Himes for Congress.
We need an administration and Congress that will make policy decisions based on facts, not chants; an administration which defines "you" as average Americans, not large corporations. That's why I'm voting for Barack Obama for president and Jim Himes for Congress.
They have sensible, fact-based energy policies that will move us towards energy independence, create jobs and wean us off of environmentally harmful fossil fuels. And they will promote energy efficiency and conservation, concepts that McCain and Palin aggressively disdain.
Jonathan Perloe
Cos Cob
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