6 June 2009

Pierogi Night, June Meeting At Pulaski Democratic Club June 18th

The Democratic Town Committee will hold a "Pierogi Night" fundraiser for party building activities on Thursday, June 18th, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Pulaski Democratic Club, 89 Grove Street. The suggested donation is $20. Information available at www.newbritaindemocrat.net

The event will be followed by the June meeting of the DTC, beginning shortly after 7:30 p.m. at thejavascript:void(0) Pulaski Club. The public is welcome to attend the meeting.

Voter Registration Update: DTC Could Add Seats If Obama Bounce Holds

Voter registration at the end of May showed a slight drop in enrollment from the Presidential year high.There are 32,758 residents registered to vote in the city, including 17,599 Democrats, 11,214 Unaffiliateds, 385 from minor parties and 3,560 Republicans. The surge in Democratic enrollment in 2008 may result in the 48-member Town Committee adding seats for the term that begins in 2010 if enrollment numbers can be sustained. Adding seats would be Voting Districts 4, 10 and 13, which currently have three members. Under party rules, every voting district gets at least three three members. Districts which have at least 1,201 Democrats next January may add a seat.

Additional seats will depend on whether Democrats can stay at or above the threshold for a fourth seat. Currently, the only districts with four seats include Districts 1, 2 and 14.

Democratic Chairman John McNamara has said he may propose increasing the minimum number of seats in each district to promote greater citizen participation and involvement in the local party. A larger Town Committee would require a rules change by two-thirds of the membership and would take effect in the next term. Presently, the Town Committee appoints residents to vacancies for Justice of the Peace if they volunteer in the community and welcomes others as non-voting associate members to serve on committees to promote involvement.


Council Adopts City Budget: Money For Senior Tax Relief, Library and After School Programs Put Back In

Common Council Democrats adopted an alternative budget to Mayor Stewart's $216.3 million proposal late this week, restoring a senior property tax relief program and using a line-by-line approach to paring expenses to hold the mill rate at 34.98.

According to the print edition of Saturday's Herald the Council restored:

* a senior property tax credit program authorized in prior years by ignored by the administration;
* six police officer positions;
* a parking enforcement position as a means of generating additional revenue;
* funding to the library and after-school programs that has been cut by the Mayor.

On the revenue side the Council seeks "at least $250,000" by stepping up code enforcement against slumlords and negotiating $150,000 in concessions from municipal unions.

Facing a deadline despite uncertainty over state aid and questionable Stewart administration revenue estimates, the Council worked throughout the week to revise Stewart's proposal.

Democratic Town Chairman John McNamara praised the Council's line-by-line approach to cutting expenses and the pursuit of concessions from unions to avoid layoffs and cutbacks to essential services.

"The Council proposal is a step toward a fair and responsible budget in tough economic times. Specific cuts are preferable to across the board ones to attain savings, and concessions that can be worked out with labor unions are preferable to layoffs in public safety and education."