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Shelton residents and members of Shelton's business community:

 

Last evening, at a special meeting of the Boards of Aldermen and Apportionment and Taxation, Mayor Mark Lauretti presented his annual budget.  Following are remarks made by the Mayor during his presentation:

 

“Good evening to the members of the Board of Aldermen and the Board of Apportionment and Taxation, members of the press and certainly, members of the public.

 

As mentioned a moment ago, this is my 33rd budget presentation and certainly, not without some challenges.  You know, one might think, that after all this time, it would be a walk in the park and everything would be status quo and we would just fly above the radar screen, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.

 

You know, as I look back at some of the budget presentations and some of the challenges that we have had to deal with, we have, and that’s what’s important.

 

There has been some rigorous debate over the years, and you know what, it’s healthy and it’s okay.  At the end of the day, we have come out on top in many categories and continue to do that.

 

So here we are, three years later, and we are still dealing with the aftermath of a worldwide pandemic.  And although people do not have to deal with the immediate health threats, the effects of the society shutdown still persist.  Let me elaborate.

 

The self-inflicted economic challenges created by Washington, DC have pushed businesses and working people into real financial challenges.  Inflation is at a forty-year high and has led to significant increases of gas prices at the pump, prices in the supermarket, and the cost of goods and services are also at an all-time high.

 

In addition, and most importantly, healthcare costs have soared to record amounts.  In particular, in the last two and a half years, both the City and the Board of Education have had over expenditures in the amount of over $6,500,000.00, not accommodated in our budget.  And this is over what we have historically spent.

 

All of these expenditure increases have depleted close to $10,000,000.00 of monies that were in our general fund just a few short years ago.

 

As so many people know, Shelton has enjoyed low and predictable mill rates, creating an economic vibrancy recognized by many across our state, and to the benefit of all taxpayers.

 

This year will not be the norm.  However, raising the mill rate to maintain services is not only necessary, but prudent.  On the bright side, cost containment measures are already underway.  Adopting a different model for healthcare and special education services has taken center stage and the overall costs will begin to trend down.

 

Our financial health has, and will continue to be, a priority for me.  Look to see how the changing face of Shelton has garnered the support of five governors.  Many name-brand businesses that call Shelton home and the accolades from so many state and national media outlets have told the story of a city that has changed itself.  We are very different than what we were 30 and 40 years ago.

 

With that being said, I am proposing a budget for the fiscal year 2025, based on current revenue and expenditure levels of $134,166,479.  It will result in a mill rate of 18.1, which is an increase.

 

I remind everyone that Shelton’s budget process culminates with the adoption of the budget by the Board of Aldermen at the end of May.  There certainly will be changes made to this budget that I proposed because, as some of us know, there are an awful lot of moving parts and there still is some uncertainty in terms of the funding level that we will be receiving out of Hartford.

 

So -- with that said -- as always I remain available to assist in the budget process, and again, it’s all of our due diligence that’s important to preserve the integrity of our financial status here in the City of Shelton.  Thank you.”

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