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A MESSAGE FROM MAYOR MALLOY (cont'd.) Stamford is in great shape. Last year was a solid year for the City and the budget we have in place for the coming year will strengthen our community. I hope you agree.
Following are a few of the highlights from the past year.
2005-06 was a banner year for capital projects in Stamford. We completed the WPCA treatment plant upgrade, on-time and on-budget. We made significant progress in the Mill River, with new trails and a fabulous playground. We finished the new parking garage downtown. We completed two local bridge reconstruction projects and paved 14 miles of roads. We started on a new bird sanctuary with accompanying trails in Cove Island Park. We received the first installment of Federal money to begin rebuilding the undersized railroad underpasses that choke our downtown and east side traffic flow. We have begun work on the Urban Transitway in the South End. These projects are just a few of many. 2005-06 was a great year for our schools, as well. It was our first full year with a new superintendent, Josh Starr, who is moving forward with an ambitious agenda for student achievement. |
We have made significant progress on almost done projects like Stamford High, projects just starting like Westhill High, and projects being designed, like the Magnet School at the former Clairol site. We have begun the difficult process of developing and finding State assistance to operate a new School Readiness center that will expand our universal pre-k programs to cover 3 year olds as well as 4 year olds. The local economy continues to be among the strongest in the world, with new jobs, new businesses, new housing, and new opportunities developing every day. The Royal Bank of Scotland will bring 1,850 jobs. Virgin Atlantic is bringing 95 and the Bank of Ireland 35. Antares has announced plans for 4,000 housing units in the South End. New supermarkets, hotels, and retail businesses have opened. The mall is upgrading itself, too. Looking forward, Stamford will continue to build on these successes while holding taxes to a minimum. The taxes that were due this August 1, represent a 2.77% increase, on average, over the mill rates last year. This is the third year in a row and the 8th year out of the last ten years that Stamford has held any tax increase below the rate of inflation.
For the coming year, the City has budgeted $388.1 million, an increase of $18.5 million or 5% over the year that just ended. This spending plan includes funding for all the services that Stamford has come to expect, as well as for a number of key initiatives that I believe are important if we expect to continue our success here. These endeavors include the City’s Youth Development and Violence Prevention Initiatives; increased park maintenance; improved beach enforcement; defibrillators at all City beaches; and expanded recreation and City planning programs. At the same time, this budget fully funds the request of the Board of Education for educational programs (the small reductions made by the Boards of Finance and Representatives reflected health insurance savings – NOT program cuts). We all should work to help the Board of Education find success in meeting their ambitious goals for our children.
The City has been able to maintain these high service levels with tax increases below the inflation rate as a result of success on several important fronts: - Cost control efforts throughout City government continue to produce results in areas such as Workers’ Compensation, overtime, telecommunications and contracted services.
- New or increased revenues in areas such as cash investment, parking management, personal property tax auditing and delinquent motor vehicle tax collections.
- Our carefully managed health insurance programs have held our costs well below industry averages.
- The strong local economy has resulted in Grand List growth and increased revenue from building permits and property conveyances.
I remain committed to providing excellent value to taxpayers. By keeping services strong, our schools great, and our economy thriving, we can preserve the quality of life that you expect while avoiding the steep property tax increases that have plagued so many municipalities in Connecticut this year.
So, please enjoy the rest of the summer, and enjoy Stamford. It’s a great place to live. |