Norwalk CFO blasted as Council Committee delays budget cap recommendation

NORWALK, Conn. — Norwalk Chief Financial Officer Henry Dachowitz defended his department Thursday after two Common Council members took aim at what they said was a pattern, an information gap that had prompted the Council Finance Committee to delay deliberations on the coming operating budget and its impact on Norwalk Public Schools.

With no Grand List to work from, the Committee tabled its budget cap recommendation to Tuesday, Feb. 28. Council member Nicol Ayers (D-District A) then said, “I’m extremely irritated that this is how we are doing business here in the City of Norwalk.” David Heuvelman (D-District A) said he agreed.

Dachowitz called her comments an “unfair potshot.”

 

Speakers support NPS during public hearing

More than 30 people spoke to the Committee during the preceding public hearing, almost all urging a cap that would provide a larger increase in the school district’s budget than has been recommended by Mayor Harry Rilling.

Rilling’s budget calls for a 4% increase to the school district. Norwalk Superintendent of Schools Alexandra Estrella’s budget ask, approved by the Board of Education, was for a 12% increase. This was pared down from the original 18% calculation.

In 2020-21, the Board of Estimate and Taxation provided no increase to Norwalk Public Schools in light of huge amounts of federal aid due to the pandemic. Multiple speakers noted that during the public hearing.

“If you gave a 0% increase a year or two ago, and then you told the BoE to use the COVID relief funds for these interventionist mental health coaches, teacher obligations, contractual obligations, did you not expect them to ask for a big percentage of a budget increase?” Amanda Trimboli asked.

Assertions that the 4% increase wouldn’t even cover contractual obligations was also a common theme.

“This Council’s flat funding a year ago caused this issue,” Gloria Neiderer said.

“A 5% increase in funding is necessary just to meet the salary and benefit requirements of our current staff,” Jennifer Jeffries said.

The Coalition of Educational Unions also urged more funding.

“We have been working in an all hands on deck mentality for years now in the school buildings,” Norwalk Federation of Teachers President Mary Yordon said. “The 4% cap does not provide the means to support a proper educational experience for the students of Norwalk….(It) will endanger the gains that our students have made coming out of the pandemic.”

“Connecticut, just like the rest of the country, is experiencing a children’s mental health crisis that in large part was triggered by the social distancing and isolation requirements of the pandemic,” said Marissa Mangone, a senior officer for MFCC, formerly mid-Fairfield Child Guidance Center.

While the recent youth survey showed some middle and high school students are struggling, “we are also seeing Norwalk children as young as seven and eight years old, self-harming,” she said. “Some have even attempted suicide.”

One speaker raised his voice.

“Kids are in crisis these days,” Doug Peeples said. “… What is the matter with you guys? How are you justifying this?”

Jennifer Jeffries said she’s always heard that the City’s “Rainy Day Fund,” or unassigned general fund balance, should only be used for emergencies.

“I’m asking you to think about the data that I shared about our student population. Couldn’t the academic losses spurred by the pandemic and the high percentages of children experiencing mental health issues be constituted as a crisis for our city?” she said. “If we properly fund our schools and help our children, we will in turn, lift up our whole community.”

Rilling’s recommended budget calls for a $6 million draw down from the Rainy Day Fund.

Others spoke of families leaving Norwalk due to the school system, or shying away from coming here because of budget shortages. Several children addressed the Committee; one Norwalk High School sophomore said she’s one of the students struggling with depression and anxiety.

“I’ve struggled with self-harm and attempted suicide multiple times,” she said. “… I genuinely don’t know how I could continue to be a student without that support system.”

 

Dachowitz slammed

After two hours of testimony, the Committee moved on to the budget cap discussion in what is technically a separate meeting.

Parents watching remotely couldn’t see the hybrid meeting on Zoom. City E-Government Coordinator Larry Manzi explained this was a technical glitch caused by the first meeting going longer than expected and urged them to watch the discussion on YouTube.

Dachowitz explained that the Grand List, a compilation of assessed property values, is normally due Jan. 31 but Tax Assessor William Ford has gotten an extension to Feb. 28.

Dachowitz is Ford’s supervisor.

It’s the fourth year in a row that the City has gotten an extra month from the State to file its updated Grand List.

The Grand list is essential for determining the mill rate and the corresponding average tax bills, as the Finance Department divides the assessed values by the revenue the City needs to fund its budget, Dachowitz explained.

He was expecting to deliver the Council Committee numbers for its budget cap setting-meeting but Tax Assessor William Ford wasn’t comfortable with the numbers, he said, explaining that the Tax Assessor’s Office is struggling with a software transition.

Both the Tax Assessor and Tax Collector offices are switching to Quality Data Systems (QDS) for their software needs, a decision approved by the Council in July. The shift to QDS was expected by September but there were “delays, none of which were our fault,” Dachowitz said in December.

Therefore, an upgraded version of old software is being used.

“You have preliminary numbers, and they will change but we’re just not sure where they’re going to end up,” Dachowitz said.

A decision as important as this shouldn’t be made without the information, Council member Jenn McMurrer (D-District C) said.

Finance Committee Chairman Greg Burnett (D-At Large) moved to table the budget cap to Tuesday, Feb. 28, although the operating budget calendar posted by the Finance Department states that the budget cap deadline is March 7.

The motion passed unanimously. Lone Council Republican Bryan Meek (District D) was not present.

Ayers let her displeasure fly.

“Yet again, we are not getting things in a timely manner from the Finance Department,” she said. “I can appreciate a computer glitch, I could appreciate being cautious. But at this point, we are setting a pattern… This happened last year.”

She added, “I know my colleagues are probably gonna get me in the parking lot. But that’s OK. This has to stop. We cannot continue to do business like this.”

“What happens if we don’t have these numbers on Monday?” Heuvelman asked.

The charter gives the Council until March 7 to set the cap, Burnett replied.

“I think the problem here was the ambitious calendar,” Dachowitz said, calling it “unfair” to give Ford a Feb. 23 deadline for the Grand List when the State granted a legal extension.

“I think Mr. Ford is doing yeoman’s work with a very tough situation. I don’t want to go into the details about where he is. But the vast majority of the values have already been established,” Dachowitz said. “…I was the one who made the decision to not give you numbers tonight. He has a deadline of February 28.”

Updated, 12:37 p.m.: Information added. Correction, March 2: BET provided no increase to NPS.

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