The Hour leads with the capture of the Winfield St. Bank of America robbers, well two of them at least. Good detective work led to the capture, and the Norwalk Police report that of the 9 bank robberies this past year, 5 have been solved.
The Parking Authority is finally operating in the black, and largely because of the real estate conveyance tax, so is Norwalk. Good thing those commercial properties are selling. The city spent $337,605 less than the budget projected, and gained an additional , $2,064,454, according to The Hour report. Now if they can somehow figure out how to fix flooding and pot holes, that would be a good thing. But no, the BET has it eye on … reducing taxes.
Wilms said the $2.4 million surplus will go into the city’s fund balance, also known as the rainy day fund. He lent his support to drawing $3.5 million from the rainy day fund and applying it to the 2008-09 operating budget — to be hammered out early next year. The draw-down would help taxpayers, he said
“Because we’re spending more for the schools and debt service (is rising), this helps relieve the burden on the taxpayers,” Wilms said earlier. “We’re using it to reduce taxes. It is consistent with the rainy day policy that the Board of Estimate approved.”
The rainy day fund now stands at $27.9 million. As part of a multi-year plan, the city drew $1.5 million from it for the 2006-07 operating budget, $3.5 million for the 2007-08 budget, and plans to draw $3.5 million for the 2008-09 budget. Such a draw-down, Hamilton said, would keep the fund balance within the 7.9 percent range — of total annual spending — shared by Norwalk and other municipalities with AAA bond ratings.
While taxes are a concern, continuing to ignore infrastructure is worse.
The arbitration panel has rendered its decision regarding the contract for the firefighters.
An arbitration panel backed city positions on nine of the ten issues it considered, failing to award the firefighters union most of what it hoped to gain through arbitration on its four-year contract.
A copy of the arbitration award shows Local 830, International Association of Firefighters, was denied changes it requested relating to overtime pay and retirement benefits.Copies of the decision were handed down to involved parties within the last two weeks, and were not received by the City Clerk until Aug. 31.
source: The Hour, Police arrest two in bank robbery by Noelle Frampton, September 5, 2007
source: The Hour, Norwalk ends fiscal year $2.4M in black by ROBERT KOCH, September 5, 2007
source: The Hour, Arbitration panel favors city over firefighters union by Noelle Frampton September 5, 2007
