Newsletter Volume 3 • Number 43
Erasing future spending from the books set to cause mill rate shock
For decades, Greenwich has kicked the can down the road on maintenance and development for everything from public buildings to public safety. A report by the nonpartisan League of Women Voters found that we have a $1.5 billion dollar overhang, largely due to a finance board that’s been controlled by Republicans for 98 of the last 100 years.
But now the majority Republicans have unveiled a new tactic, disappearing the can altogether! In the budget the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) just passed without a single Democratic vote, they erased over $100 million dollars of future work. “This is my 21st budget,” said town comptroller Peter Mynarski. “Last year was the first time we started doing this.”
- Gone is a $24m placeholder sum to build a new Hamill ice rink in 2027
- Gone is a $35m placeholder to renovate and expand the North Street School in 2031
- Gone is $69m from future years for flood protection of streets, facilities, and our vulnerable sewage treatment plant
- Gone is future year funding for EV charging infrastructure for town-owned electric vehicles, for open space, and for bicycle safety
A reckoning is inevitable
Gone, gone, gone. Keeping projects in outyears doesn’t mean we have to do them or do them at that price tag, but it helps us all plan ahead. “If I had a CFO or controller and they were taking things out of our capital planning that we knew we needed to do, I would fire them!” said BET Democrat Matt DesChamps. “There’ll come a reckoning day here where taxpayers will be hit with a big tax increase that was predictable but not planned for because we’re taking numbers out of the budget just because we feel like it.”
First Selectman offers no credible capital plan
Just last month, the town legislature’s Budget Oversight Committee invited First Selectman Fred Camillo to discuss the town’s plans for managing our looming project backlog. Notes from the meeting were not encouraging: “The Town does not appear to have a credible 5-/15-year capital plan at all.” The League of Women Voters report came to a similar conclusion, also noting the flaws in First Selectman Camillo’s preference for chasing big ticket donors. “This can lead to low-ranked projects taking Town funds simply because of a significant private donation.”
We need competent financial leaders
The Republican majority on the BET has stuck its head in the sand. They’ve refused to call a BET Debt Policy Committee meeting since 2020. The committee’s mandate is to identify how the town will pay for projects over the long term. Members could consider whether to take advantage of medium or longer term borrowing, which smoothes out payback and reduces sticker shock, just as a home mortgage makes buying your house possible.
So will key repair and replacement projects planned for neighborhoods, the Board of Ed, or town agencies just disappear? Or will Republicans drop a large tax hike out of the blue to fund them, or bankrupt our school and town operational budgets to “pay as they go”?
Democrats on the BET have over 150 years of proven experience in financial management. They know how to strategically plan for a 5-year, 10-year or 20-year horizon, and still keep the mill rate the lowest in the state. Vote for the Democratic ticket in November and start planning for our future.
CT unveils tracker to ‘shine light’ on federal impacts
With the flurry of executive orders and retractions from D.C., it can be hard for the state government to keep track of how CT’s businesses and municipalities are being affected, and what support they need.
To combat that problem, Governor Lamont launched a portal this week where town governments, businesses and nonprofits can report any federal impacts, including funding reductions, pauses and delays in accessing funds, as well as employment reductions or effects of tariffs.
Armed with this information, state policymakers will tease out how the chaotic federal directives are affecting the various sectors of our economy. Treasurer Erick Russell explained, “The reporting system unveiled today not only shines a light on the true scope of the damage being done to our economy and our people, but it provides real-time information that allows us to push back, to demand accountability, and to fight for the resources we all deserve.” Report impacts to your business or nonprofit here.
What we’re reading
Infighting ends in fines for ex-RTC leaders
The bitter rivalry between factions of the Republican Town Committee ended in election violation fines against its former chair Beth MacGillivray, town harbormaster Paul Cappiali, and another RTC member. Last week, the state elections board fined these individuals for certifying election signatures on a petition that they in fact did not witness. Last year’s RTC caucuses prompted tit-for-tat accusations of irregularities, complaints and a lawsuit. Read the story here.
Action Calendar
April 22. Learn.
Learn about the Byram River Basin Flood Risk Management Project in this meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along with Congressman Jim Himes. Town Hall Meeting Room and on Zoom, 7:00 p.m. Info here.
April 25. Take a stand.
Take a stand against racism with the YWCA and keynote speaker Ramin Ganeshram, Executive Director of the Westport Museum. Greenwich Town Hall, noon. Register here.
April 26. Clean up.
The annual Live Like Luke beach cleanup in tribute to Luke Myers takes place from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at Greenwich Point Park. Register here.
April 28. Honor.
Join Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz in this ceremony to honor veterans of the Korean War. Town Hall Meeting Room,4:00 p.m.
April 30. Apply.
The Greenwich Registrars of Voters has opened registration for their 2025 Election Academy. Deadline April 30. Learn more and apply here.
| Volume 3, Number 43 • April 17, 2025 |
| Paid for by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. |
| Greenwich Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 126 Greenwich, CT 06836 |