EH Mayor Maturo Proposes .05 Mill Tax Decrease, $91.6M Budget

EAST HAVEN, CT - Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr. announced today that he has turned over his proposed $91.6 million dollar budget for the upcoming 2019-2020 fiscal year to the East Haven Board of Finance, a budget which includes a reduction in the mill rate - from 32.45 to 32.40 mills, the preservation of all current services, and an increase to spending of just nine one-hundredths of a percent (.09%).

Maturo said, "Since resuming office in 2011, my team and I have charted a careful, responsible fiscal path for the Town of East Haven which has focused on restoring our rainy day fund, reducing debt, and borrowing responsibly to address the Town's infrastructure needs. I am proud to be proposing another budget which addresses all of those goals and which puts more money back in taxpayers' pockets."

Maturo's proposed $91.6 million dollar budget includes an .05 mill reduction and represents a spending increase of .09%, or $77,884 dollars, over the 2018-2019 fiscal year budget.

Maturo said, “Since 2011, we've committed ourselves to being more efficient and to doing more with less. It hasn't been easy. It's been a team effort among the administration, department heads, and town workers. My budget recommendation this year expands upon the tax savings already being realized by our residents. In fact, if approved by the Town Council, around 70% of taxpayers will be paying less in taxes than they were when I resumed office in 2011."

Paul Rizza, the Town's Finance director, added, "A huge part of earning those upgrades has been our commitment to restoring our rainy day fund. Over the past eight years, we have grown the Town's fund balance, or rainy day fund, by almost 2,900% from just $201,000.00 dollars in 2011 to a healthy $5.84 million dollars as of 2018."

Maturo said, "This upcoming budget is no gimmick and it's certainly not smoke and mirrors. Rather, my proposed budget includes an incredible 13.86% scheduled reduction in the Town's annual debt payment, from $3,141,901 to $2,706,478. I am proposing using some of that savings to absorb increases in other departments and that we return the balance of that savings to the hardworking taxpayers in the form of a mill rate reduction."

Maturo continued, "As I've noted previously, the State's dismal fiscal climate and the unpredictability of State funding has made it more difficult than ever to craft a balanced budget. This past budget year, our community lost $357,240.00 in State funding for the "Circuit Breaker" program for our seniors and $854,319.00 in "municipal revenue sharing funding" which subsidizes a host of local initiatives. However, despite losing that funding, we didn't eliminate programs. Looking ahead, we're crunching our revenue and grant numbers very carefully to ensure we can continue to preserve and expand vital local services."