Budget Vote Thursday – 4/1/2009

Posted by Bob on April 1, 2009 under Daily Blogs | Be the First to Comment

The Joint Boards of Finance and Mayor and Burgesses will vote to adopt the 2009-2010 budget on Thursday night, April 2, 2009, at Town Hall.  Despite uncertain revenue projections and questionable expenditures, the administration is determined to pass a budget prior to the election.

Even with these risky business practices, the likely result is the NINTH (9th) STRAIGHT tax increase imposed on Borough taxpayers.  This will be the THIRD (3rd) STRAIGHT tax increase for the current administration after serving less than TWO (2) FULL YEARS in office.

This begs the question – How much longer will Naugatuck Taxpayers tolerate Borough leaders operating in the same manner, year after year, and expecting a different result?  Albert Einstein described this as insanity.

You may hear that the tax increase is less than those in year’s past.  Such a statement is even more unsettling.  Despite all the creative accounting that has been used to boost revenues and  reduce spending, the result is still another tax increase.

Without structural, systemic changes to our budgeting practices and local government itself, this process is likely to be repeated in years to come.  We can continue to blame our situation on the state government, the federal government, Borough employees or the economy, but the sobering reality is that we have to bear responsibility for failing to change our ways.