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BET approves 6 of 13 requested city headcount adds; public safety hires deferred
Summary
City staff reported 13 requests to add full-time headcount; BET recommended six, totaling approximately $409,000 (some half- or three-quarter-year funding); police requested five officers were not approved this cycle and a recycling coordinator will be covered by bottle-deposit revenue.
Finance staff told the Board of Estimate and Taxation on March 20 that departments requested 13 additional full-time positions outside of existing vacancies; the finance office recommended approving six of the 13, with partial-year funding for some hires.
Tom (finance) said the total cost for all 13 requested positions was about $946,000, and the recommended six adds (some at half- or three-quarter-year funding) total roughly $409,000. The largest single group of unapproved requests came from the police department, which asked for five additional officers; BET and the mayor agreed that, given current fiscal constraints and uncertainty over external grant flows, this was not the year to add sworn positions.
A recycling coordinator post was approved to be filled using Connecticut bottle-deposit revenues (approximately $35,000 twice annually), removing the need for general-fund support. Mayor Brillant reiterated his policy of strict new-hire scrutiny and asked departments to limit hiring to only absolutely critical positions.
There was no roll-call vote recorded in the transcript for each position, but staff reported the aggregate numbers and the mayor and BET members discussed the city—s constrained fiscal outlook as the reason for limiting net additions this budget cycle.
