05/28/2026
What happened at the Council meeting last night was completely out of the ordinary and deeply concerning. At a moment when the public deserved a full and open debate on the City’s budget, Democratic leadership moved to shut down discussion by calling the question.
This was not a minor procedural issue. The budget before the Council relies on one-time state revenue to balance ongoing municipal spending, while still failing to fully fund education and failing to proactively address the impact of revaluation on taxpayers for the out years.
At the end of the day, this budget is balanced on nonrecurring money. The amendment removes the Mayor’s proposed use of fund balance, but replaces it with one-time state aid to support expanded spending. That creates a built-in cliff for next year unless the City receives the same aid again, cuts spending, raises taxes, or identifies new recurring revenue.
New Britain residents deserved a serious conversation about those tradeoffs. Instead, debate was cut short on one of the most consequential votes the Council will take all year. That is not transparency, that is not accountability, and that is not responsible budgeting.
