Spending Will Increase, But Tax Rate Stays The Same In $14.5M Plan
By Katie Warchut
Published on 6/6/2006 in Region » Region News
Groton — City voters unanimously approved Mayor Dennis L. Popp's $14.5 million budget for 2006-07 Monday night.
Twenty-nine voters attended the meeting.
The budget maintains the current tax rate of 4.905 mills for the fifth straight year, even though expenditures will increase by 5.25 percent, or $684,000, over the current year.
Pension contributions, energy costs and fuel for vehicles drove up costs, according to Popp.
The largest portions of the budget are the Police Department, at $4.5 million, the Fire Department, at $2.1 million, and Public Works, $2.8 million.
The spending plan includes a firefighter position that has been left vacant for this year and a purchasing agent, a new position that would be created in the Finance Department.
It also provides a new full-time city planner with a salary budgeted at $60,000 a year. Previously, the city had used part-time planning services from the town. The position was first introduced in the budget that voters approved last year, but the job was never filled.
The spending increase in the budget will be offset by a 10.8-percent increase in the grand list of taxable properties in the city, as an Enterprise Zone exemption for Pfizer and Electric Boat property had expired, Popp said. Groton Utilities also provided a greater contribution to the city budget, from about $2.1 million to almost $2.5 million.
“We're pretty sound financially, with a good reserve,” Popp said.
Major capital expenditures include four police cruisers, an electronic permit tracking system for Building and Zoning and digitizing records.
As part of the meeting, voters also approved the transfer of $2.94 million from the municipal water and electric department to apply to the budget appropriations.
“Everybody wants to know why you have a utilities department ... That's a good reason,” Popp said.