Mayor Harry Rilling (opinion): 'I have put forth a fiscally responsible budget' for Norwalk

That’s why, this year, I’ve proposed a budget with an overall 2.46 percent increase.  My budget includes funding for improving and maintaining Norwalk's world-class assets, such as our parks, green spaces, and incredible beaches, combatting flooding and pursuing sustainability efforts to combat the threats of climate change, supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs, as well as improving traffic and congestion by building upon our transportation infrastructure and increasing mobility by installing more sidewalks, bike lanes, and trail systems. It also includes providing critical services for those in need, especially the most economically disadvantaged community members, investing in mental health services for children and families, and perhaps most importantly, supporting our schools so they can continue to provide a world-class education for our students.  

At the beginning of this budget process, I asked all my departments to be conservative in their budget requests and told my chief finance officer that the cityside could not have a budget increase of more than 3.5 percent. As a result, the cityside budget is virtually flat — with a .75 percent budget increase.    

The Board of Education, on the other hand, came forward with a request for a 12.69 percent increase. 

As many may know, I have a track record of increasing the Board of Education’s budget year after year — at much higher rates than my predecessors, demonstrating the city’s ongoing commitment to making sure every student in Norwalk has access to a world-class education by making smart investments in our schools and educators. I’m proud of the progress the City of Norwalk made in the past decade on behalf of our students. They are the future and the most important resource we can invest in. 

This year, my budget includes a 4 percent increase for the Board of Education. This nearly $9 million increase would build upon the progress we’ve made for every student in Norwalk. While this increase is significantly higher than what I proposed for the city’s budget, it is less than the Board of Education’s full request. When it comes down to it — we simply cannot fund everything and expect many of our residents to take the hit. We must balance everyone’s needs. 

The Board of Education’s request of a 12.69 percent increase, which is equivalent to a $27 million increase to last year’s budget, is simply not equitable for the community, nor does it balance the needs of other ongoing priorities in the City. If we moved forward with that funding request, it would mean that taxpayers would see an average 8-12 percent tax increase citywide. A tax increase of this nature would be nothing short of irresponsible.  

Since I came into office, I’ve prioritized our schools, and they've made historic progress in increasing the quality of education. In addition to supporting historically high operating funds for our schools, last year, we announced several plans to upgrade our neighborhood schools. In 2022 alone we put forth our plans to build a new Norwalk High School, completed the groundbreaking of Cranbury Elementary School, welcomed students into the newly renovated state-of-the-art Jefferson Elementary school and a new wing at Ponus Ridge Middle School and made the historic announcement that after more than 40 years, students in the South Norwalk community will finally have a neighborhood school. One neighborhood school at a time, the City of Norwalk is working to deliver the best learning environments for students throughout Norwalk and that will only continue.  

I know that some will feel that this budget does not go far enough to fund our schools. However, I am committed to continuing to seek out creative ways to fund a number of critical services, including additional mental health services and further support for children and families, and we will look to build upon relationships with community providers and nonprofit organizations to meet these critical needs.   

I have put forth a fiscally responsible budget. It represents a fair, equitable, and balanced approach. It balances many of the city’s major priorities while continuing to support historically high funding for our schools without jeopardizing our residents' ability to afford to continue to live in our community. 

Harry Riling is mayor of the City of Norwalk.