East Hartford's Budget Preserves Jobs and Provides Funding for the Broad Scope of Services

On March 9, the East Hartford Town Council approved the fiscal year 2021-2022, $201.1 million budget. This budget process was extraordinary, as the ongoing impact of the COVID pandemic continued to force the Town and the School District to continually re-evaluate the needs of the residents, in conjunction with the overall ability to deliver services and finance those needs in the face of significant unemployment, a struggling economy, and the ongoing battle to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Throughout the past year, we have made decisions in the name of public safety and health, including closing all Town buildings to the public and cancelling many activities. Distance learning, virtual programs and meetings have become the norm and provided our employees and their respective directors the opportunity to recreate services that, while delivered alternatively, offered an enhanced level of service and greater efficiencies.

Each budget, over the past 11 years, that I have developed and presented to the Council was fair, thoughtful, honest, transparent, forward-thinking and reflective of the values of our community. Each budget has built upon the last and has been a step forward in advancing a better version of our community in terms of planning and finding creative ways to noticeable achievements. I am proud that the budget approved Tuesday evening meets all the criteria and reflects those tenets.

This budget preserves jobs, provides funding for the broad scope of services our residents rely upon and offers some relief to residents during these extraordinary times.  Taxpayers in our community want to see their tax dollars represented in quality services, modernized infrastructure, expanded programs and prideful town buildings, like our library and the new Senior Center, in our parks and in the preservation of our true historical past while embracing the better version of ourselves in the future.  In addition, this year’s budget was completed with a clear lens on prioritizing and incorporating racial equity into the budgeting process and I am hopeful that we will continue as a community to move equity priorities from pages of the budget book to bold actions and initiatives.

There is much more to be proud of in this budget, which exhibits persistence and purpose, worthy of the public trust that we each have been elected to ensure.

I am grateful to each member of the Town Council for their belief and credence in the construction of this budget that was placed before them and with whom we have worked collaboratively and cooperatively to ensure the goals, objectives and desires of our community are represented in it.

I am grateful to the Directors and their staff for their insight and investment as we worked to prepare a budget that allows each to continue to advance their departments through implementation of best practices, creative thinking and emerging trends; to the members of the finance team for their work and support while undertaking the compilation of FEMA filings and Cares Act mandates, to Superintendent Quesnel, his team and members of the Board of Education for the honor and unity of our partnership, to my staff for the epic efforts, unfathomable hours and workload undertaken during times of staffing shortages, COVID quarantines and constant reprioritizing to meet the needs of our residents, I am forever humbled and indebted to you and our employees that support and deliver the services contained within the numbers in those budgets. 

To our State Delegation; Senator Anwar, Representatives Rojas, Genga and Currey and our Federal Delegation; Senators Murphy, Blumenthal and Congressman Larson—thank you for the commitment, hours, labor, advocacy and sacrifice you undertake to represent and respond to the needs of our community. You are champions who yield and carry the interest of our people to all levels of government so their voice is heard even when they feel silenced and unrepresented. Your work and shoulders carry the heavy weight that comes with political representation and I am forever grateful and proud of the work you have done and will continue to do.

This budget truly represents the work of many as we collectively deliver on a promise to ourselves, our profession, our position and to this community.

Thank you and god bless us all.

Key Budget Statistics

Impact on the Taxpayer

As a result of this budget, the recommended mill rate of 49.35 for Real Estate and Personal Property is 0.57 mills or 1.1% lower than the current year while the motor vehicle mill rate remains at 45.00 with no year-over-year increase. Accordingly, in total, the average taxpayer with two cars will see a $119 or a 1.87% decrease in taxes beginning in July of 2021.