$662.7 million proposed budget tracks with inflation; lowers the property tax rate; increases investments in public safety, education, parks, and city workforce; builds on commitment to fiscal responsibility by increasing annual pension contribution and lowering annual debt. 

(Video: Watch the budget news conference in its entirety here.)

NEW HAVEN, CT – Today at City Hall, Mayor Justin Elicker released a proposed $662.7 million annual budget for the City of New Haven for Fiscal Year 2023 - 2024. The proposed budget represents an overall increase of 4.66%, or $29.5 million, over last year’s budget, tracking closely with inflation.

“This budget builds on the steady and significant progress we’re making as a city. It maintains or increases our commitments to the priorities we have set in advancing inclusive economic growth, strengthening public safety, increasing affordable housing opportunities, investing in our children’s education, expanding youth and community programming, and delivering on city services that strengthen our neighborhoods and enhance our quality of life.  It does all this while also lowering the property tax rate for homeowners for the second year in a row,” said Mayor Justin Elicker. “It’s also an honest and responsible budget that builds on our work in recent years to improve the city’s long-term financial health. It decreases the amount of money we borrow to the lowest level in decades and increases our annual pension contribution to ensure that we meet our financial obligations down the road. In the end, I believe this budget strikes the right balance between providing the critical services that our residents expect and deserve while also keeping our residents’ tax burden down and ensuring the financial health of our city. I look forward to engaging with the Board of Alders and city residents in adopting a final budget that reflects our shared values and commitment to a creating a city where all can thrive.”

Some priorities and highlights from the Mayor’s proposed FY 2023 – FY 2024 include the following:

• Lowering the mill rate from last year’s rate of 39.75 to 37.20, a reduction of 6.42%, which will ease the impact of homeowners’ rising property values and the associated commensurate increase in property taxes during the second year of implementation of the property revaluation phase-in (as per the state’s mandated property revaluation in 2022) and in subsequent years.

• Increasing investments in public safety by proposing twelve (12) new positions of both sworn and civilian personnel to help supervise, patrol, and close cases; answer 9-1-1 emergency calls; and care for animals at the New Haven Animal Shelter.

• Increasing investments in public education by providing an additional $8 million to New Haven Public Schools to help educate our students and compensate our teachers.

• Increasing investments in public parks and spaces by proposing seven (7) new positions, including parks caretakers to ensure improved care and maintenance of city parks as well as new park rangers to provide youth, community, and environmental programs. Additional seasonal workers are also proposed as well.

• Investing in climate and sustainability by allocating $2.25 million towards the fight for a cleaner and greener New Haven across a variety of initiatives.

• Retaining and attracting the best and brightest to work in city government by supporting salary increases for city employees covered by collective bargaining contracts and for department heads and coordinators, and by adjusting the salary ranges for the Executive Management employees for the first time since 2011 to bring their compensation closer in-line with their counterparts in other cities.

• Improving the city’s long-term financial health by increasing the city’s upfront contribution to its police, fire, and city employee pension funds; reducing the assumed rate of return on these funds from 7.25% to a more conservative 6.90%; and limiting the City’s borrowing to $55 million over two years representing the lowest level in decades. These measures are critical given the primary driver of cost increases in the city budget are fixed costs, including debt service, pension obligations, employee benefits, liability insurance, and utilities, which accounts for 42.36%, or $280.9 million, of the proposed budget. The budget is also an honest one with no budget or accounting tricks like those used in years past.

In total, the proposed budget includes thirty-four (34) new positions focused on public safety, parks, and audit regulatory compliance and inspections to help ensure city resources are stewarded responsibly.

The proposed budget also includes two departmental organizational changes.

• Creating a new Office of Policy, Management, and Grants by reallocating existing staff from the Finance Department to help focus on and streamline the work of preparing and reviewing the city budget, preparing multi-year financial plans and monthly financial reports, guiding the City though financial audits, guiding and monitoring the performance of city departments, overseeing the implementation of operational efficiencies, and improving the City grant process to help maximize the utilization of this funding.

• Moving the New Haven Free Public Library (NHFPL) from under the direction of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to the Community Services Administrator (CSA) to strengthen the natural and growing synergies that exist between our public libraries that so often serve as community hubs and gathering places for residents with the various community services and programs available to residents that generally fall under the auspices of the Community Service Administrator.

The Mayor’s FY 2023-2024 proposed budget has been submitted to the New Haven Board of Alders for review and consideration, and the Board of Alders Finance Committee will be holding a series of budget workshops, public hearings, and deliberations in March, April, and May. The specific dates will be posted on the Board of Alders webpage at newhavenct.gov/alders and can also be found at bit.ly/FY2023-24-Budget-Schedule. Meetings will be streamed on the Board of Alders YouTube page at youtube.com/@boardofalders8363.

In the coming weeks, Mayor Elicker will also be holding a series of budget town halls -- with dates, times and locations to be announced soon -- for residents to learn more about the budget, ask questions, and provide input and feedback on the proposals.

Per the City Charter, a final budget must be approved by the Board of Alders by the first Monday in June, which is June 5th.

Mayor Elicker’s entire FY 2023-2024 proposed budget can be viewed on the city’s website at bit.ly/FY2023-24-Proposed-Budget.

Press Contact:
Lenny H. Speiller (he/him)
Director of Communications
Mayor Justin Elicker | City of New Haven
165 Church Street | New Haven, CT 06511
Phone: 203-725-4249
Email: Lspeiller@newhavenct.gov