Bristol's Board Of Finance Adopts City Budget

By Brian M. Johnson, The Bristol Press

May 27, 2021

The Board of Finance has adopted a city budget Tuesday night with a zero tax increase.

“With this budget the City is able to achieve a 0% tax increase and maintains the current 38.35 mill rate for the July 1, 2021 tax bills,” said Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu. “The Senior Tax Relief component is also still in effect, which has frozen eligible senior citizen households at the $125 benefit rate.”

The budget totals $209.6 million, which is a 2.2% increase over this current year’s adopted budget. Zoppo-Sassu said that the budget factors in the state aid in the governor’s proposed budget as well as $2.1 million generated in tax revenues from the 1.93% increase to the Oct. 1 2020 grand list, which brought in an additional $77 million.

Furthermore, $1.6 million was used from the mill rate stabilization reserve and $1.2 million in education surplus funds were carried over from fiscal year 2020. The budget also includes a $420,000 repayment of the school cafeteria deficit, which was made possible by the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund II. The city also eliminated the $1 million use of the City’s fund balance reserves that was allocated to the 2021 budget.

Of the 2.2% increase in expenditures, City expenditures increased 2.3%, Education increased 2.2% and Debt and transfers increased 1.6%.

“Of the City’s increase, the majority is attributable to contractual obligations (1.74%), increases to the Bristol Burlington Health District and additional costs related to the Police Accountability mandate passed by the State Legislature,” said Zoppo-Sassu.

Zoppo-Sassu added that the city is expecting to receive $5.4 million in additional Distressed Municipality funding from the State. Thus, the Board of Finance decided to allocate $2.7 million for capital purchases and the balance for any coronavirus related expenses.

John Smith, chair of the Board of Finance, said that this year’s budget is the result of “consultation, collaboration, and coordination among the operational and governance sections of the City.”

“The future will mandate that all levels of public sector government function as a cohesive unit,” he said. “It would appear that we, in Bristol, are working towards that process. With the Mayor’s expansion of the role of the city’s Capital Improvement Committee to include a strategic planning component the City will be better prepared to address short and long term goals not only from a financial perspective but also to recognize the elements necessary to pursue economic growth for the community.”

Smith highlighted that the Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services Department, previously the Parks and Recreation Department has recently completed a City-wide Parks Master Plan as a guide toward future initiatives.

Additionally, Smith pointed out that the Mayor has recently assembled a nonpartisan “Task Force” comprised of municipal leaders and Bristol citizens to offer advice and counsel regarding the expenditure of funds from the American Rescue Plan.

“Bristol will receive an approximate total of $46 million, $26 million directly to the City and $19 million directly to the Bristol Public Schools,” said Smith. “Strategic Planning will play a critical role in the decisions regarding the use of these funds.”

Zoppo-Sassu clarified that the city cannot use any “American Rescue Plan” dollars to reduce the tax burden, nor can this money be used for any direct expenses related to the day to day General Fund.