More details are coming out now about Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito’s proposed budget… and the add up to some pretty hefty savings for Danbury property owners, who would see a 17 percent drop in the tax rate next year. The school system would also benefit by receiving the $150 million that was requested. The money is available due to a recent hike in Danbury’s tax base after the revaluation of 2022. The $295 million spending plan is being proposed for the next fiscal year that begins July 1st. It must be adopted by May 15.
On Tuesday, Mayor Dean Esposito introduced Danbury’s Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Proposed Budget which lowers the tax rate by 4.89 mills to an historic 23.33 mills, and fully funds the Board of Education budget request of $150 million dollars. The total general fund expenditure plan, including the Board of Education, is $295,750,000. This represents an increase of $18.25 million over the current year adopted budget of $277,000,000. Net revenue from all sources other than current property taxes total $52,019,775 leaving a net balance expected to be collected from local taxes of $243,730,225.
For the first time ever, a former Connecticut state trooper faces the potential loss of his police license. Former State Police Sgt. John McDonald… a 15 year veteran of the force… pleaded guilty to criminal charges and resigned in November 2021 amid two internal affairs probes following a crash back in 2019 that he is accused of causing while driving drunk. Two people were hurt. Now comes word that the Connecticut Police Officers Safety and Training Council is considering decertifying McDonald’s credentials. Last year, McDonald began collecting a $76,000 annual state pension.
Vandalism in Norwalk that caused thousands of internet outages has resulted in two arrests. 26 year old Keith Geddings and 30 year old Jillian Persons… both of Ashville, North Carolina… were arrested on Saturday after an investigation into the cutting of some 2,000 fiber optic cables in Norwalk on March 24th that cut off the internet for about 40,000 Optimum customers in Fairfield County. Both now face a long list of charges. Geddings and Persons are each now being held on $200,000 bond.
The Brookfield Library Art Gallery presents Alien Invasion, an exhibition of whimsical aliens created by illustrator Pamela Hanks… on view from April 1 to May 30. The show also incorporates interactive elements. Everyone is invited to attend the exhibition reception on Saturday, April 22 from 2 – 4 pm in The Brookfield Library Art Gallery. Pamela Hanks will give an Artist Talk and Demo at 2:30pm that day. A virtual version of the exhibition will be available online at https://www.brookfieldlibrary.org starting tomorrow, April 1.