Lauretti offers rate decrease

SHELTON — As the state grapples with a growing deficit and looks to impose new taxes and fees on its residents, this city’s mayor is promising a 10th year of no tax increase.

Instead, Mayor Mark Lauretti is recommending a slight reduction in the city’s mill rate from 22.21 to 22.15, while proposing a $124 million budget, up from last year’s $123.3 million.

In doing so, Lauretti, a Republican running for governor this year, could not refrain from taking a shot at the Democratic governor.

“Three years ago Gov. (Dannel) Malloy said he will not sign a budget balanced on the backs of education and municipalities,” Shelton’s 14-term mayor said. “That’s a story that’s been going on for three years. Well that’s exactly what he’s proposed again.”

The mayor’s proposal marks the start of the budget season here.

Beginning next week, the Board of Apportionment and Taxation will conduct a series of joint meetings with the Board of Aldermen in hearing from department heads. Once that ends, the tax board will present its proposed budget to the Board of Aldermen by April 26.

Aldermen will review it, tinker with it and vote on a final budget around May 31.

“There might be some changes,” Lauretti said. “There usually are; but in the end it will, I believe, be close to what I proposed.”

Some of the keys to the mill rate reduction were the $22 million growth in the Grand List and $450,000 in new revenue, said Paul Hiller, the city’s finance director, who previously served as Fairfield’s chief financial officer before coming to Shelton in 2012..

“We have lower indebtedness than virtually any other town,” Hiller said.